I'd like to hear about your accomplishments and/or things you are proud of

First and foremost my marriage of 44 years and raising 5 successful kids. 2nd, thanks to AA not drinking for 7 years. AND during my career in radio/TV, having conversations with 4 U.S. presidents as well as countless rock, soul, pop and country music stars and movie and TV legends. (one of these days I'll actually make a list) During my drumming days in San Francisco/Berkeley I drummed 3 gigs for Country Joe and the Fish while they negotiated to get Chicken Hirsch in the band. Sitting in on a 4 song set with the original Jefferson Airplane when drummer Skip Spence fell "ill" during the show. Then there was this. No accomplishment or anything to be proud of but haunts me to this day. Turned down several offers to join Eddie and the Rockets because the band thought I played better than the drummer they had. Eddie the lead singer liked it that I was more "active" on the drums than anyone else in the Bay Area. A few years later, the Rockets were no more, but Eddie Mahoney made it big going solo and changing his name to Eddie Money. BUT....I bet he never talked with 4 U.S. presidents!!
 
It's interesting so many of us struggled in school but obviously wasn't because of a lack of intelliect-because we all did achieve. All my siblings were all straight As as all my kids, and my wife. I never made straight As in anything except the sciences. I actually wasn't planning on college it was my Dad's idea. So I went-he had lots of control over me-he was psychologically manipulative/abuse type, and to be fair I'd do anything to get him to like me so I was motivated by that. Anyways I dropped out with all Fs after two years and took about a year off working and lots of personal changes (beating drug addiction, telling Dad to bite me) so I went back to college on my own accord. Struggled in everything except an intro Biology class and did well in an Art class-I wanted to be an Art major actually, but "Dad" wanted all his sons to be physicians (course none of us are LOL) . So I started back pre-med-holy moly what an idiot since I had no background for it. I remember my first physics class I was bombing with all Fs so I went to the professor who was head of department-he spent about 15 minutes with me-and the light turned on. I made all 100's on ever exam after that in all three courses we had to take. Math courses I struggled but did well enough, which is odd because physics is all math. English was my nemesis as I wrote poorly -still do except if I really take my time and organize my thoughts with an outline (just writing off the top of my head runs like the passage of ideas through my head (so hard to make heads or tails LOL) leave out letters, words, change order of words, etc.) we had a rising junior English exam you had to pass to continue-I took it 3-4 times to finally pass. Course writing is something we all have to do no matter your job so it could have been rating limiting-but they demanded lots of reports, dissertations, etc. so I learned through fire (actually got pretty good by PhD) but now with age I note I'm failing again-but I don't write much now either. So many of us with natural music, art, etc talent, and so many who struggled though school though obviously intelligent. My best friend is a welder who only finished high school-he had learning difficulties so he never really tried to academically achieve. Now he's super bright fella and I've often wondered if he also had a learning disability and in reality he would have gone to achieve what he wanted-his father was a welder so he became one as his brother. I always hated I didn't have natural athletic or academic talent-I really had to work to achieve meagerly, but the experience sure did help me teaching when I'd see so many students struggling just like I did. I'd rather have a poor student who works hard than an egocentric super intelligent that it all comes easy.
 
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Lived to be 60 years old (61 in two weeks). Didn't kill my wife of 40 years (and she didn't kill me either!). Raised three boys who all make more $$ per year than I do. (Can't take credit for the 5 grandkids though.)

Guided a blind man across an intersection. Twice. Really! He asked my age, as my voice is deep, but my arm isn't hairy. He remembered me by my voice the second time. It's funny how you take things for granted.

Just the other day, I engaged an elderly couple at the local warehouse-grocery store. Put a case of water bottles in their shopping cart. Said, "Good luck getting them in the car!" We laughed, when all three of us said at the same time, "One bottle at a time!"

I shovelled the snow from old Mrs McClennan's driveway when I was about 10 years old. Mom kind of shamed me into doing it. She said I'd go to hell if I took money for doing it. I didn't. I hope it works! Love you and miss you, Mom!
 
Not drum related, but I have accumulated over 1 million accident free miles as a long haul trucker. I accredit it just as much to not 'bumping' into the wrong driver as to safe driving. Sometimes you can do everything right and still get hit.
Making the Million Mile Club doesn't happen by accident (pun intended). Good driving, lots of luck and total situational awareness. Thanks for letting me stay home every night. (y)
 
Heck. When I'm feeling melancholy I'm just gonna brush up on this thread. Y'all are inspiring.
It is inspiring isn't it. A friend of mine tripped on a root in his yard and broke his neck-so now a quadriplegic though some use of arms now (actually can walk now to with a walker after years of therapy). What's odd is a few weeks before we were eating raw oysters and the subject came up of a major health event and what we would do-he said he wouldn't want to live. Oh the irony-found himself just where he feared. How did he react-well inspirationally. Whenever I felt sorry for myself I'd think about his struggles and overcoming much of it-still running his business, building up his core body strength that now he can walk with a walker-man tears swell up still when I think about his achievements. It humbles me and I realize I have the handicap with my pity party.
 
Being the pit drummer when my college (UCSB) did a multiple run production of the musical "Chicago". We rehearsed for the whole quarter and did about eight shows. Twenty-five years on and it is still one of the biggest challenges in my life. I have huge respect for pit orchestra drummers in Broadway style musicals! I was playing at the very edge of my abilities. Unfortunately we couldn't record the performance because of copyright laws.
Cool topic!
 
Being the pit drummer when my college (UCSB) did a multiple run production of the musical "Chicago". We rehearsed for the whole quarter and did about eight shows. Twenty-five years on and it is still one of the biggest challenges in my life. I have huge respect for pit orchestra drummers in Broadway style musicals! I was playing at the very edge of my abilities. Unfortunately we couldn't record the performance because of copyright laws.
Cool topic!

Pit drumming can be really easy, or the hardest thing you’ll ever do. Anything arranged or composed in the 90s or later is usually REALLY hard. Stuff from the 60s and before is usually really simple.
 
I got someone's YouTube account deleted today. I'm stoked! I notified YouTube yesterday that someone was auto-generating user channels (in the 100s) and user generated comments and content. The channel was removed today!!

Since the channel was political in nature, I can't say which channel it was.
 
My last band got a nice write-up in the local paper. There was a list of "best live and local music of 2019" categories and we were mentioned for best single song performance.

"The most impressive single song performance would go to the Dave Mell Blues Band for its rendition of "Unchained Melody" and sung by Ellen Mell. We caught this band at a private show during the summer, and the vocalist delivered an excellent performance supported by professional, talented musicians. Having done this tune only once prior to this show, it is now one of the band's most requested songs. This performance in a word: dynamic."

 
First... nothing musically can come close to being 31 years with my amazing wife and birth / raising of our child.

Looking strictly at music...
- Having students from 25+ years ago reach out to me on other platforms letting me know how important my influence was to them.
- Getting to play 2-3 gigs week for 20+ years for decent pay in decent places
- Being first call drummer for a local promoter (mostly guitarists) from 2000 - 2005 and having the ability to work with a few heavy hitters. Highlights include Charlie Byrd, Tommy Tedesco and Chet Atkins.

The Chet Atkins show sticks out the most since it was just he and I. No charts or rehearsals. We literally were introduced to each other within 15 minutes before going on stage to play. I didn't even have a set list. He just called tunes and we went for it.

I will probably never have those opportunities again and feel lucky to have done what I have.
 
Served our country
Worked a career
Built a house
Raised a family
Survived a major health crisis

Still like to play drums after all that.

thank you for your service!!! I will never be able to top that!!!

Also super jealous of you getting to build your own home...that might be happening for us in the future, but we will see!!
 
Thanks friend, it was my honor.
The house took 10 years to happen. Life is one day at a time, they really turn into months and years so quickly.

Now let's read some other people's accomplishments!
 
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