Thanks, Brian. My sentiments also! Paul Chick ----- Original Message ----- From: Brian Trout <btrout@desupernet.net> To: <pianotech@ptg.org> Sent: Friday, July 21, 2000 11:22 PM Subject: Re: I need to say this just for the record > I can't help but add my two cents here. I've come at it from several > different directions. > > As an 'outsider', one who once looked upon the guild as the good ol' boys > club, I didn't have many friends in the guild. I figured I didn't need them > and they didn't need me. With that kind of attitude, what could I expect? > > 15 years later, I joined the guild, and although a number of members were > very welcoming, there were a few who were 'stand-off-ish'. Here's this new > guy who knows (or doesn't know) something about pianos. Why has he decided > to join? It was kind of an introductory period. Call it what you want. > Cordial, and certainly pleasant, but not as open. > > After spending some time in the guild (I'm a member about 1 year now), I > think the people around me, both my local area and the cyber world, have > come to know a little more about why I'm here. I'm interested in the free > exchange of ideas. I'm interested in what others are doing. I'm interested > in learning. I'm interested in contributing what I may have learned along > the way. I want to grow, and help those around me to grow too. > > I can't help but think that there is a segment of the 'learned' tech > population that might be a little reluctant to divulge every bit of info > they've ever come across or discovered through years of hard work to every > newbie that comes along. But I have found that those same techs are much > more interested in sharing their thoughts, their wisdom, their experience > with people who are not just there to skim the best info they can and run > off into their own little corner to play with their new toy(s). When you > come to the group with the obvious intent of being a contributing member and > a part of the 'team', the perspective changes. There is a sense of > camaraderie that develops over time which breaks down a lot of the barriers. > > For me, I get back what I put out. I'll be blunt. I love people. I care > what's going on in other people's lives. When somebody has a problem and I > have even a little part of the answer, it gives me great happiness to be a > part of the solution. I've got to tell you, it has come back to me ten > fold. When I have a problem or need help with something, I have friends who > are there to help. > > Do you want something from one of the 'big boys'? Let me just ask, then, > what would you be willing to give them? I have discovered that even the > 'big boys' as I called them, those who we put on a pedestal, don't know > everything. When you get to know them, you find out they have questions and > areas of interest where they don't have all the answers either. Have you > ever taken enough time with one of them to find out where even one of their > areas of questioning might lie? or do you even have a little tidbit of > information that they might be thankful for? Offer it. I had a wonderful > experience with a well known, high end rebuilder. He was looking for some > info on a piano. I had some info. I sent it gladly, without any strings > attached. I sent it because I consider him a friend. His response was "if > there's ever anything you need, let me know", and he was sincere. > > What I'm driving at, the guild is, for many, what they put into it. If > you've committed yourself to be a growing, thriving, integral part of this > wonderful body of technicians, you won't likely be an 'outsider'. If you > choose to be separate, distanced, and aloof, can you really expect the warm > fuzzies? > > There are some areas where people have gotten messed up in the political > stuff, and I hope I will be able to avoid those problems. I tend to stick > to the more technical stuff. And no matter what the organization, there's > good people and not so good people. It's a lot like high school, or church, > or any number of organizations. You can find what you want to find. You > want criticism? You'll find it. You want backbiting? You'll find it. You > want jerks? You'll find them. You want warm, caring, sharing, good > friends? You'll find lots of them. You want to share ideas and information > with the best minds the PTG has? You will find them too. > > You hold a lot more of the power than you may give yourself credit for. > Think about it. :-) > > (Time to get off the soapbox...) > > I just couldn't help myself... > > Brian Trout > Quarryville, PA > btrout@desupernet.net >
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