Joel's dream and overcoming.

You know what, Joel never forgets his first love, and I'm not talking about his wife, I'm talking about his first guitar. When he was only about 10 years old, his grandfather Francisco gave it to him. Before that, he had never been very interested in music. He would just listen to his grandfather play from time to time or when he himself would put it on the laptop he had at home. Until then, the guitar and music itself did not occupy a very important place in his life. But when they gave him that old guitar, things changed a lot for him. Some would say for the worse and others for the better, depending on who in his family you ask.

For example, his mother Nasli always said that he had left school for something that he was not really passionate about, because in her opinion there were many other jobs or hobbies that gave more money. Although of course Joel turned a deaf ear to opinions like this because he was really passionate about the guitar, because after receiving it from Francisco, his grandfather, he took a great interest in the instrument. And he spent hours and hours practicing and because of this he neglected other things in his life such as his studies before graduating. He became so obsessed with the guitar that later on he left school completely. Perhaps because of these decisions his mother Nasli had such a negative opinion.

On the contrary, his grandfather and his father agreed with his decisions because they said that every man has to create his own path following his passions as in his case for the guitar. They know that despite having his grandfather who taught him to play, the truth is that it took him a long time to finish learning. It was not until he was 15, almost 16, that he was finally able to master the instrument well. Of course, he didn't exactly know how to play it perfectly, but at least he could now earn a living playing and with time he had hopes of going far, and to think that all this had started because his grandfather had given him that guitar.

Well, in his teens he saw the importance of improving himself, because he lived in a neighborhood where people could barely survive. Everyone worked tirelessly trying to get money to eat that day and figure out what to invent the next. Many of them had spent their best years in that situation and no longer had any hope of improving or doing anything about it. His own family was an example of this because his father had worked all his life as a bricklayer and had never been able to earn enough to get them out of there or that situation. In the case of his grandfather, he learned to play the guitar from a young age like Joel, but he never got to form a band or make hit records, he only played as a street musician. This only allowed him to earn enough to live, but not enough for luxuries.

That is why Joel put all his hopes in his music and his guitar, because he clearly knew that that would be the only way to get out of there. Otherwise, the same future awaited him as his family and his neighbors. That's why he tried to improve every day, to get better and to be able to go further than his grandfather who always stayed in the area but did not gain international fame. Over the years, he improved his technique. To learn more he watched videos on the internet at the local cybercafé. He didn't have enough money to move to a city where there was a music school so that's what there was. Luckily, several street musicians who worked with him on the streets often advised him and helped him improve his technique.

But you know, the years began to pass quickly, even faster than he thought. And that dream he once had when he was little of "achieving something big" began to wear away. He spent much of his youth improving his skills and practicing continuously. But the problem was no longer with him, it was the very place where he lived. You see, that city was a nest of lack of opportunities. First, people didn't have much money to give big tips when he played on the street. Second, there were no places where he could work because the few bars that were there said they didn't have the budget for that. And others simply said they preferred to play music on a speaker than to have to pay him.

He often thought that his city was not a place for someone like him. And you know, it wasn't far from reality, that was his main problem. His talent was not appreciated enough, so if he didn't take action he wasn't going to get anywhere. His mother would always tell him when she saw him that he would have been better off studying and getting a job than playing on the streets. He tried to explain to her that it wasn't about money, but about getting ahead. But she couldn't understand him at the time.

And so many more years went by, playing at bus stops, at fairs in the city, outside markets. Even though he hadn't achieved great fame in his town, he was very well known. Many people knew of his great talent and how hard he worked. So they hired him to entertain events and throw parties. That was good because more and more people knew him, but it still didn't allow him to make the leap and move to the city and take his family with him to a better place.

But sometimes opportunities come when you are most distracted. Because it turns out that one random day, or any other, something happened that was the beginning of something very good for him. It turns out that Joel was in his usual place at the subway station, where he played every morning because there was a lot of people and that helped him earn more. That morning had not really been especially good because they had only given him a few coins that they put in his guitar case. He was about to leave, but then he saw him, it was a well-dressed man who was not from the place nor did he fit in with the rest of the people. The man started talking to a man so Joel decided to play again before leaving. When that man finished talking to the other man, he noticed Joel.

But he didn't just watch him play, because after watching him he approached him to see him more closely. And he put several hundred dollars in his guitar case and waited until he finished playing. When he finished, the man didn't say anything off topic, he just pulled a card out of his pocket and gave it to him. After that, he told him that he was very talented and that if he wanted him to call him. On the card it said the name of the man, which was Mario, and it also said that he worked for a record company. He told him that if he wanted an opportunity, he should keep calling him. And after that, he left. The rest of the day Joel continued to mull the matter over, although without much hope because up to that point there hadn't been any good opportunities, so he was getting ahead of himself thinking that this opportunity would be the same.

In the evening when he finished work and took a shower, he sat down on his couch like every night, but decided that he was going to give that man a chance to see what he really wanted. When Mario called him, he told him that he had given him the card because he wanted to invite him to join a band that needed a guitarist, and when he saw him on the subway, he knew that he would be the right one. Besides, that band was already famous, so if he agreed to join, he could have some of the attention and fame that the band had. And on the other hand, he could earn a lot more money and with that he could help his family and finally move to the city.

When Joel heard that, he was very happy because it was the first time he had a real opportunity to get out of his monotonous situation. Mario told him that all that was missing was the confirmation of the band; he would have to attend a meeting next week so that he could give them a test of his talent and the skills he had. In the end, they agreed on that. The week flew by and when he came to see the day arrived. When he arrived at the place, he saw that the band was already anxiously waiting for him, since they had been looking for a guitarist for quite some time. So as soon as he arrived after greeting each other, he went straight to the studio to do that quick audition. When it was over, the band leader and Mario told him that he was perfect.

He was the perfect person for the position they needed. So they told him that all they needed was for him to say yes, and in a month they would go on tour together. Joel could only say to them, “How can I say no? This is the opportunity I have been waiting for years.” So the band leader told him, “Well, you are welcome. You are now a member of the band.” Joel said goodbye and quickly went home to give the news to his family. They all congratulated him because it was the beginning of his career, it was the opportunity he had been waiting for years. His mother finally had to admit that he had made the best decision. Now a better future awaited them, because little by little he could make his dream of moving to the big city come true and take them with him. This is not the end of the story, but rather the beginning of the adventure.

Credits: The images used are free to use and royalty free. They were taken from pixabay.