u/Mad_Season_1994

I’ve just never had the “creativity gene” as it were. Never been good at creating unique scenarios and ideas and just always been copying what other people have written. And I feel like the same will happen with guitar. Even if I memorize however many scales and songs, I just don’t see myself composing original pieces or deviating from exactly what’s written, even if I have the technical knowledge in my head.

Don’t get me wrong. I love just playing. But I’m just not creative at all and don’t want to feel like I’m missing out on the main thing with guitar: making my own music

I’m 30 and just have no hope or optimism about dating. Not even because of the dating apps. I know most of them suck ass anyway. I mean just dating in general. I just don’t have anything to bring to the table. For one thing, I’ve never been in a relationship. Second, I’ve never had sex. And three, I don’t have a social life outside of my hobbies (no friends, I mean. And never have). I’m also not fit.

I know these are all things I could change. But to be honest I just feel like all that shit is beyond me at this point. I’m not getting any younger and don’t have anyone in my life to begin with. I’ve always been alone and just don’t see the point in trying to change something that’s part of me.

I’ve always heard that, by the time the temperance movement and organizations spearheaded by women like the WCTU, the majority of adult men were heavy drinkers and would of course become abusive to their wives. But what caused this uptick in drinking activity exactly?

For me, owning a beautiful Martin and also the same model black cat Strat as David Gilmour, I think the reason I prefer picking up my 000-18 is because of how pure it is. My dad always said that, even though he plays his Les Paul 99% of the time, you can get away with bad playing on an electric if you use enough distortion and play loud enough. Most of the audience won't know the difference as long as you look like you know what you're doing.

But with acoustic, you don't have that choice. If you don't know what you're doing, the guitar will know and will let everyone else around you know. It forces you to play precisely and cleanly. And that's what I personally like most about it. That and its simplicity, along with the sound and resonance I get from it. Even when I'm going through a scale, it rings like beautiful bells and has a sound that never gets old.

What about you?

I started my guitar journey this year on a Yamaha FS-800. But I saved up enough money and finally got a Martin 000-18 new that is now my daily guitar, and I love it so much. I’d always wanted one just because of their rep, the amount of successful guitarists that used them, and the fact that most of them are hand assembled.

But since I don’t really have any aspirations to join a band or record music and just want to get as good as I can get at the guitar for myself, I just don’t see myself ever needing another Martin/acoustic since this 000-18 does basically everything I could ask it to. Its resonance alone when I’m plucking notes from a scale makes me love it for that fact alone.

What do y’all think? Is there anything something like a D-35 or D-45 would give me that my 000 can’t? Would the difference in woods really sound that different? I’m just trying to be practical with my money and not just buy stuff that’s gonna sit on the stand.

I'm almost completely alone in the world, save for the few family members I have. I've never had friends or been in a relationship because I was always shy as a kid and, as I got older, eventually just haven't even tried anymore. If my family disappeared, there would literally be zero people in this world who ever knew I existed.

I tried Christianity but could never bring myself to believe in God, even if I did volunteer at the church I went to and liked the people there. So now I'm turning towards Buddhism to try and give me something worth living for besides myself and my hobbies. I just want to feel some semblance of inner peace and belonging and all that. Anything that gets me as far away from ending my life as I can.

Are there any Buddhist books that could maybe point me in the right direction at least?

I started my guitar journey this year on a Yamaha. But I saved up enough money and finally got a Martin 000-18 that is now my daily guitar, and I love it so much. But since I don’t really have any aspirations to join a band or record music and just want to get as good as I can get at the guitar, I just don’t see myself ever needing another Martin/acoustic since this 000-18 does basically everything a regular dreadnought can do.

What do y’all think? Is there anything something like a D-35 or D-45 would give me? Would the difference in woods really sound that different? I’m just trying to be practical with my money and not just buy stuff that’s gonna sit on the stand.

My 8 year old nephew plays it often. But when I watch him play it, it’s just…nothing. His character runs around doing whatever while ear shattering noises keep playing over and over again. Maybe I’m just mentally a boomer. But it just seems so far and away from what I would’ve grown up with. That is, games with actual plots and story and strategy.