I need to say this just for the record

[JIMRPT@AOL.COM]

In a message dated 7/22/2000 8:57:39 AM, Dave P. wrote:

<<"We make a big mistake if we

read some ominous message in a person's natural demeanor.">>

Dave;
 Very good point. I myself have never been a particuarly extroverted type nor 
an introverted type.......I guess that you could call me a 'tweener'.  By 
that I mean I 'tend' to give back that which is given to me. mentally, 
spritually and pysically.
 That being the case it was many years, 20 some, after I attended my first 
PTG meetings that I finally joined.

 The reasons for this are legion, i.e.; "The members had nothing to offer 
me", "being a member of PTG would not alter my paycheck", "most of the 
ba...uh not quite good techs were members of PTG and I did not want to 
associate with them",  "The members were calling 'me' for advice", "two 
"Craftman" members could not hear well enough to carry on a normal level 
conversation and were still tuning", "The Chapter Pres. was cutting down 
upright pianos to make "Consoles" out of them"...No I don't mean mirror 
pianos....I mean consoles...he was cutting plates and soundboards and 
lowering the whole shebang. :-)  AND since the testing of the period was 
mainly a local affair "I could not allow myself to be judged by these 
turkeys!!!" THEY were ALL Craftsman members and "I knew what they din't 
know!!!"

  All in all a quite interesting group of Techs.................BUT they were 
also sharing and improving their skills along the way and this is an aspect 
that I did not see as an outsider. The President at that time was responsible 
for carrying the local chapter for many years, financially, so that... "the 
young and new techs would have a place to go to for help that I never had".  
The Two 'deaf' tuners turned out to be among the best I have ever known at 
action regulation. etc., etc..................

 When I was forced to join PTG, by Skip Becker, (thanks Skip) I finally got 
to 'know' a lot of these men I had known most of my life. I was wrong in my 
assessment of worthiness in those early years because at least these men were 
TRYING for improvement, but I didn't undrstand that at the time I was too 
busy 'judging them' and overvaluing myself. 

 Well I 'still' don't need PTG because getting to know, and associating with, 
people like Father Edwards, Dr. Jim Coleman,Sr., Dr Al Sanderson, Wally 
Brooks, Vivian Brooks, Bill Spurlock, Fern Henry, Paul Janssen, Sr., Paul 
Monachino, Jack Wyatt, Llyod Meyer, Fred and Mimi Drasche, Paul Olson, David 
Duncan, Evelyn Smith, Gina Carter, Mary Smith, Bob Mair, Lary Crabb, John 
Ragusa, Bob Mishkin, not to mention Tom Servinsky and Robert Carr along with 
a legion of others......nah these guys have not made a difference in my life 
or business (hah!)........... But damn! I would be awful poor in knowledge, 
and emotionally, for not having known them.

  Yeah PTG has its share of jerks but please don't let that small sampling of 
egotistical buffons rob you of the experience of knowing some of the best 
people you could ever hope to meet.
 On a beautiful Saturday Morning in 'Temperate' North Florida :-) this is the 
way I see it.
Jim Bryant (FL)