When I was learning blues from this blues genius, I mentioned something about feeling shy sometimes when asked to play. I didn’t think I would ever have anything worth hearing. He told me something I think speaks to my growth as a pipe hobbyist, too. He explained:
“What makes great music? If you only know three notes, and work with them, really put them together well, become the world’s greatest virtuoso of those three notes, you will be making exquisite music. But eventually you’ll get bored, you know. I get bored with what I can do. So I stretch myself, add something, then I’ll think I can get it just a little better, just perfect that and then I’ll be happy.”
I used to be happy smoking my pipe the way I did since forever, just packing the sucker, setting her off and blowing big clouds meditating away. That was it. I was really smoking, baby.
Then I found this place. And quickly my old way of smoking bored me.
I have learned soooo much from this site.
My mouth now, at 11:08 a.m., still remembers the soft incense in my mouth from the cool pipe stem while I was driving to work at 7:30 this morning. And it was from a tobacco I had written off! It now gives me so much more pleasure than I realized a pipe could give. I might have another at lunch. Don’t know yet. It’s not something I would “cram into a moment” anymore. I don’t want to cheapen the experience.
The site stretched me, gave me a more sophisticated skill set. I care for my pipes better. I fill my bowl better. I actually smoke the pipes better. I choose tobaccos better.
And the experience is so far past my old three-note pipe-smoking repertoire that I feel like I can sit among any of the great pipe smokers of the world and not sound stupid.
A more mature and confident pipe-smoker.
Thanks!
“What makes great music? If you only know three notes, and work with them, really put them together well, become the world’s greatest virtuoso of those three notes, you will be making exquisite music. But eventually you’ll get bored, you know. I get bored with what I can do. So I stretch myself, add something, then I’ll think I can get it just a little better, just perfect that and then I’ll be happy.”
I used to be happy smoking my pipe the way I did since forever, just packing the sucker, setting her off and blowing big clouds meditating away. That was it. I was really smoking, baby.
Then I found this place. And quickly my old way of smoking bored me.
I have learned soooo much from this site.
My mouth now, at 11:08 a.m., still remembers the soft incense in my mouth from the cool pipe stem while I was driving to work at 7:30 this morning. And it was from a tobacco I had written off! It now gives me so much more pleasure than I realized a pipe could give. I might have another at lunch. Don’t know yet. It’s not something I would “cram into a moment” anymore. I don’t want to cheapen the experience.
The site stretched me, gave me a more sophisticated skill set. I care for my pipes better. I fill my bowl better. I actually smoke the pipes better. I choose tobaccos better.
And the experience is so far past my old three-note pipe-smoking repertoire that I feel like I can sit among any of the great pipe smokers of the world and not sound stupid.
A more mature and confident pipe-smoker.
Thanks!