The Loadstone

I was a rock star.

I wasn’t just any rock star, I was young and was going to take over the record industry one way or another. I was asked to play lead guitar in a band with three seniors in high school. Yes, I was…hot, to say the least. I joined this illustrious team of shredders and we deemed ourselves to be called, “LOADSTONE.” The name spawned from a discovery in a science class about a theory held by some scientists. The theory was around a mystic rock (the Loadstone) that everything on earth was attracted toward. A squirrel is attracted to the Loadstone, a snowflake is attracted to the Loadstone, humans are attracted to the Loadstone. We were Loadstone. The center of all, everything was attracted to us. Our first gig was a smash success as we performed on the back of an 18-wheeler in the Tigard High School parade. I remember passing by small children with painted faces screaming for more as they clutched their balloon animals; moms and dads sitting in lawn chairs gazing up at the Loadstone. That’s right, I thought, welcome to the Loadstone. I was in eighth grade playing in a high school parade. Lead guitar. With such a smash hit first gig, we thought, we can take this thing to the streets. So we planned our second gig, playing in the backyard of our bassists house. Yeah, we invited everyone. All shall come to the Loadstone. There will be animals of all species, insects and mammals. Not to mention the vast array of high school ladies that would flock to hear the Stone rock the suburbs.

The greatest disappointment of my life came that evening at around six when not a soul showed up. We drew a few neighbors when we started playing, and you know what, our bassists mom loved the show! It was way worth it to see Mrs. Jumago smile and clap along to our kickin’ version of “Proud Mary.” Yes, we were Loadstone.

But that night as I packed things up and my dad came and picked me up out in the 'burbs, I realized that I am in fact not the Loadstone, and really was not nor ever will be the center of the universe. And while Mrs. Jumago was impressed, the neighbors were not.