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Patrick Glancy's avatar

The paths we find to certain bands can be very interesting. Neither of my parents were into the Beatles, so I didn't listen to them much as a kid. I knew some of the hit songs, but that was about it. By the time I reached high school and my tastes started to expand, I had a- let's call him a frenemy, for lack of a better term- who worshipped them. The guy was obsessed with his own band, and while there's nothing wrong with that, I considered him kind of an unoriginal hack who basically ripped off every band he was listening to, including the Beatles. That might sound harsh, and I've softened a bit over the years, especially as I realized I was basically doing the same thing as a writer in my own notebooks, but he wasn't really that good of a guy, so I don't feel that guilty for looking down my nose at him. Anyway, that's not really what matters. But his adoration of the Beatles really turned me off of them, and I tended to view them as overrated and went down other musical roads instead.

It wasn't until several years later when I met my first wife that I was truly introduced to their full catalog. She was a major Beatles fan, and it was sort of like a package deal- I fell in love with her and the Beatles at the same time. Things ultimately didn't work out between us. After a decade together and two kids, we split up and went our separate ways. But the story has a happy ending. We both moved on and remarried, we've managed to co-parent our sons like civil adults, and the Beatles have remained a constant part of the soundtrack of my life.

So, once again, kudos for another great article. We don't know where our writing will actually lead our readers or if it will end up anywhere close to where we're imagining it going, but I'm living proof today that it definitely got me thinking and moved me in an unexpected way. It was definitely not the reaction I was anticipating after reading the first couple of paragraphs, which is the highest praise I can give you, Brad. After all, what more can we hope to accomplish with our work?

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Good Humor by CK Steefel's avatar

Kudos to the grown ups for their musical influences. Funny story-- my mom was married to Herman Epstein (Owen's dad) until his death. (Owen died when he was around 36 of a brain tumor.) When Herman and my ma took a fancy trip to the south of France they were lounging outside near Bono. Herman introduced himself to Bono as Owen's father and Bono gave him a huge hug. They had a nice chat. Owen discovered U2. The funny part of the story-- My mom sent me and my sisters a picture of her and Bono and said, "Who is this Bono?"

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