Skip to main content

Gratitude

In this episode - Gratitude . . .

Have you ever experienced a giddy feeling of lightheadedness? I’m not talking about an event that calls for a trip to the hospital but rather a delightful moment that fills you with wonder! Such was the case for me just yesterday during my first visit to Normans Rare Guitar in Tarzana. CA. When I left that day, I experienced an immense feeling of joy.

I’ve wanted to upgrade my favorite practice guitar - a Squire Strat - and decided we needed professional advice. If you are shopping for a guitar, watching YouTube videos is fun, but you must get your hands on one and find an instrument that sings to you. One that tickles your ear with a sweet sound and has a remarkable feel in your hands. Today, there are so many variations of acoustic and electric guitars; how can one decide?

Admittedly, I was intimidated planning the trip to Los Angeles to pursue my dream guitar. For those unfamiliar with Normans Rare Guitars, I would best describe it as a specialized “guitar club” - a family of guitar professionals serving a client base of some famous guitarists. Check out the video on YouTube, Who Shops at Norms. Norm Harris has been in business collecting and procuring some very rare and valuable guitars since 1975.

I’m not famous and hardly a professional musician - just a guy moving into retirement who has been nurturing a passion for playing guitar for many years. After a three-hour drive, we pulled into the parking lot of Norm’s and strolled into the shop. At the register was Brandon Soriano.

“Good morning; how can we help you today?”

“Good morning, I’m Patrick - You’re Brandon, aren't you? I know you guys from watching Guitar of the Day videos; you’re the “Spec Check” expert from the “Guitar of the Day” YouTube channel.”

“I would like to upgrade my Squire to a Fender Stratocaster - but there are so many variations.”

Brandon’s expertise and willingness to share his knowledge about the Stratocaster line were remarkable. He answered all my questions and guided me through the vast collection of instruments, making the process an absolute joy. As previously mentioned, it is crucial to listen to the instrument you are considering and connect with the inner inspiration that drives your musical performance.


To that end, Michael Lemmo created an environment that made me feel valued as a customer and fellow musician. He demonstrated the guitar I had tentatively selected from the American Ultra Fender Stratocaster group.

He effortlessly played tune after tune, as he said, “To play Stevie Ray Vaughn, use this setting. For Van Halen, use this one. And for a smooth jazz sound, try this combination. This guitar is the most versatile in the Stratocaster line.”

And play he did, folks; this guy is an accomplished musician. Watch a few Guitar of the Day episodes he hosts on YouTube.

My new Fender Stratocaster is not just an instrument; it is now a cherished part of my musical journey. Also, we made history yesterday; I own a guitar played by the great Michael Lemmo. I'm confident that it will inspire me to create beautiful music for years to come, and I am incredibly grateful.

Again, Michael and Brandon, thank you for your unwavering commitment to providing outstanding service and creating a haven for amateur guitar enthusiasts like me. Be sure to check out Lemmo’s album Blue Comet on Spotify.

I'm Patrick Ball; thanks for listening. See you in the next episode.

Comments

Most Popular of All Time

Chasing the Magic

In this episode, Chasing the Magic: How the Summer of ’98 Inspired the 'Ball Boys' . . .  Do you remember that feeling? The late-summer air was thick with humidity, radios crackling on porches, the smell of fresh-cut grass and barbecue smoke in the backyard. Every evening carried a new kind of suspense—the country holding its collective breath after every pitch. “Did he hit one today?” became more than a question; it sparked a nationwide conversation.   For me, and millions of others, the summer of 1998 wasn’t just another baseball season. It was theater, a movement, a time when the game recaptured something sacred. As sportswriter Mike Lupica said so perfectly,   “No matter how old you are or how much you’ve seen, sports is still about memory and imagination. Never more than during the summer of ’98, when baseball made everyone feel like a kid again, when it felt important again.”    Just four years earlier, the 1994 players’ strike had left the sport bruised...

Beyond Facts

✨ In this episode, Beyond Facts: Reimagining School–in the Age of AI . . .   This week's podcast is a bit different; it's another example of how Artificial Intelligence (AI) can offer tools to creatively enhance your analytical presentation of information. We took this week's blog and copied it into Gemini with the question, “If a story is to work, it must, on some level, create an illusion of escape and also achieve a goal simultaneously. Does this apply to my blog post that follows?” What's created is not just an analysis of the writing, but an AI-generated discussion produced “On the Fly” - Enjoy! Did you know that the word "school" comes from the ancient Greek word scholÄ“ , which originally meant "leisure"? Not a rigid schedule or droning lectures filled with "facts," but free time for thinking and conversation. To the Greeks, learning happened best when life slowed down—when you had room to reflect, to ask questions, and to wrestle ...

Retirement Talk

In this episode, Patrick & Huck: Retirement Talk . . .   We all get caught daydreaming sometimes, don’t we? Just like Tom Sawyer or Huck Finn might’ve done, lazyin’ by the river with a fishing pole in hand and the BIG wide world spinn’ in their heads. This morning, with coffee steaming and plans bubbling, I found myself driftin’ into a chat with none other than my imaginary friend–Huck Finn himself. Patrick: “Mornin’, Huck. Say, I’m mighty curious what you’d make of this retirement business.” Huck: “Well now, sit tight, ‘cause I’ve been thinkin’ on that too. Only thirty-one days 'til you're sixty-nine — whew! You're talkin’ ‘bout quittin’, hangin’ up your spurs, Givin’ the workin’ life its final good slurs. Ain’t got no debts, no mortgage, no fuss, Just clean livin’ and freedom waitin’ on the bus. Most folks’d throw hats in the air, cheerin’ loud and proud, But you? You’re starin’ out yonder, lost in some cloud. You're dreamin’ of cyclin' and books and guitar...

Drifting with Purpose

In this episode,  Drifting with Purpose: What Huck Finn Teaches Us About Finding Your ‘Why’ . . .  Have you ever re-read a book and felt like it had changed while you weren’t looking? That’s exactly how it feels diving back into Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn . I’ll admit, I didn’t expect to be swept away again . It had been decades since I first met Huck and Jim. But here I am – older, hopefully wiser – and finding their journey down the Mississippi more powerful and more relevant than ever. This isn’t just another dusty classic. Twain's masterpiece is a living, breathing story – one that speaks through laughter, danger, awkward truth, and uncomfortable beauty. It’s a book that dares you to ask: “What kind of person am I willing to be?” Right now, I’m deep into Huck and Jim’s incredible journey, and what’s striking me the most isn’t just the plot or the river—it’s the voice. Twain’s masterful use of local dialect pulls you straight into the 19th-century Amer...