Trumpets & Recreation: Legacy

A little Follow-up to my Previous Band-themed Post (Ethan Stranger’s Brass Bottom), as I’ll admit (when writing that post, I may sound a bit aggressive) due to my jealousy over how several of my band friends (particularly from the Trumpet Section) are having far better successful within this crazy game called...life (whether it’s with jobs or having a family).

The reason why I’ve decided to do a follow-up was that I stumbled across this old letter (that was written to me by my secret Santa, all the way back on Christmas of 2014, right during my senior year, plus I was inspired by the season 3 teaser of Star Trek: Picard), especially when Picard mentions that “he’s not a man who leads a legacy” & that’s a line alone, is what I find relatable to my Secret Santa Letter, so let's dive deep into the meaning of Legacy…

(Plus don’t mind me if I tend to break the 4th in any matter of way, besides, y’all are supposed to be my blend of humor by now, have we not learned from joker or Deadpool)?  

                          

(Click here for the season 3 teaser of Star Trek: Picard)

To kick things off with this post, allow me to repeat what I’ve already mentioned in my “Ethan Stranger’s Brass Bottom”  that within my Senior year of High School Band, I was just getting tired of (literally) everything (always doing the same thing for nearly 4 years can drive you to the edge), especially Main Band Director always trying to correct my marching throughout band camp, his harsh teaching & him recording on how I move my chin in front the whole class, read more on that in my Bullies Club: No More - this led me into missing a few competitions (due to this & that my grade in history was down unless I could’ve gotten it to a C as well as fed up with the harshness & unfairness of what I was going through in band at the time). While I passed History, everybody in Band was wondering about my mysterious disappearance from competitions, it wasn't long before the band director made me go back (I didn’t get into major trouble, he just lowered my Grade to a B).

And now let’s take little rewind between the end of My Sophomore & the start of my Junior where I was thinking of quitting the band, in an attempt to spend more time with My High School Crush a the time, read more about her (Pictures: Left & Right Bottom Corner) within my  High School Crushes: Preparing for Love Post 

But me quitting the band over here didn’t happen (as she encouraged me to stay) alongside the so-called former drum major (Sarah Peterson), believing that she’ll stay in Band if I did (but apparently, she quit on me at the last minute, that’s the 2nd time that happened to me (following back in the 8th Grade where I originally wanted to quit, but my frenemy, Alex Park, encourage me to stay, only for him to quit by the time he made it into High School, how sad).  

And back to my Senior year, when I received that letter from “My Former High School Crush (Picture: Top Center)” during her time in Marine camp (that is what kept me going through the 1st half of my senior year), until I found out she had a boyfriend…and now she’s married (alongside several of my band friends who’ve already graduated from college, engaged or married (maybe already having kids & that just leaves people like me (on the spectrum) singing the blues (ain’t that right, Eric Carmen)     

Just because I play that song doesn’t mean I’ll never find actual true love in the future (and as I am catholic, I should learn to walk more of God’s Path, as he would bless me beyond what I could’ve imagined for myself. Everything happens according to his timing & his plans is always better than the one we make for ourselves”. Even though I’m catholic, I often wonder if the lord almighty is treating me like a puppet on strings (Picture: Right Below) or often giving me too many paths to follow (Picture: Left Below)   

 

Perfect examples would be these former (Bonnie and Clyde-styled) Drum-Majors from my band years, (Picture: Center Below), since they never get frustrated, want their own space, or be apart for too long (especially since they now got their happy ever after together), as an Asperger Person (such as myself), I see this as jealously (as I’ve always seen these 2 (again we were all in Band together, crazy I know) constantly happy (obviously since they consider themselves rich & powerful (they do whatever they want), ain’t that Vulture (Picture, left)? Heck, imagine what would’ve happened if they had a taste of the experience I’ve been going through (cause I was always considering a class clown in the eyes of people until I began traveling & saw more of “The Good, The Bad & The Ugly-side of Life in General”, right, Joker (Picture, Right)?

To put my opinion about how I’ve originally picture my life (after my crazed adventure in Kathmandu) was that I was gonan to return & succeed (without the need of College), since I had already gain both “Real Job Experince & did some studying over there”, but instead (having underestimated the living conditions of Kathmandu & feeling like a man out of time upon my return in the states), I was quickly thrown into ACC (austin Community College), where I had a “not-so good time”, then constitute my travels with my parents to Lima, spend 8 months with my Aunt in TX (while also feeling powerless to do anything for my Grandpa (Picture: Center below), who passed away last year, Read more on my Worlds Greatest Grandpa Post” ) before finally making it to Hyderabad (Read more about that in my “Hooray for Hyderabad Post”), where it took a while to adjust to my new lifestyle, I was briefly in an animation academy before dropping out (aftet hings didn;t work out they way I wanted too), finding work within a forgein country has been difficult (expect for volunteer work, which I did at a local school for a time before there wans’t alot of work for a volunteer to do). So now, I’m back to square one (I’ve been doing a lot of therapy & soul-searching, been trying to be more careful in an attempt to choose my own path, and living in the moment right now as we speak (but at the same time, I myself ask the question everybody asked Dr. Strange (Are you Happy?) after everything that’s happened…

 

As an Asperger's Person, I used to think that (like the Joker) that my life was like a comedy (there’s nothing wrong with that at all, it’s good to escape the problems of the real world at times), but after my traveling experiences, I now have difficulty in finding my proper place in the world & trust issues (cause around the world, it’s hard to decide on who you trust & that leads to problems when back in the states). The best way to describe is through a song (Metamodernity) that’s based on the concept of Metamodernism  

(Click here to listen to the Song)

To wrap up where this post needs into my legacy (the only legacy I’ve managed to make a name for myself was through my world travels), hardly anything from my band years (even though the letter said that “it’s awesome that you decided to stay in the band for all 4 years even though it was hard. I respect your decision & I think you’re an extant inspiration not only to me but to the whole trumpet section. Your Influence has affected the band in a positive way”), I often felt like I could’ve done more (as well as wishing I’d known ariel about my Spectrum condition & had the proper help by my side), but overall (throughout my band years) I’m of what I did (My Band friends can read more Ethan Stranger’s Brass Bottom to learn more on my band years). Fun Fact: One of my Band Friends (Mr. N.Oliver) has a sister who has already explored Kathmandu for herself (for reasons unknown), she must be like a Silver Sable-type figure (Picture: Right), read more about her in my “Every Cloud Has a Silver Lining: The Silver Sable Story”

Perhaps the best-known legacy of me (Ethan Stranger) throughout my travels is managing to squeeze a cameo into 2016s Dr. Strange (y’all can read more about that experience in my “The Strange Untold Origin of Ethan Stranger Post”) 

(Remember I’m the Colorful striped tourist with the Fedora hat & sunglasses & backpack)

(Y’all can click this link above to get a better view of my cameo, 0:44-0:46: That's where I am)

Finally, there are several words of encouragement that I’ve learned from my good friends K! (Picture: Right Upper Corner) & Big Bill (Picture: Left Upper Corner) is that you have your own path in life to follow (you don't have to copy anybody else), Just pray that everything will come into place for you eventually.   

Well…Its time for Ethan Stranger (and Mr. C) to sign off

(Read more about our Friendship in my “Just a Band Director & His Student” Post)

For the record, Mr. C really enjoyed the Post (he was proud to have made my Band experience fun & enjoyable)

(Cue the Music, Deadpool: Maximum effort)