Dear Gibby,
I feel I have to write as I am really worried about you. I would normally pop over so we could have a drink and a chat, but you know, you’re literally miles away. Let’s face it, we’ve been friends for… man, I don’t know, seems like forever… and yeah, I know, the friendship has been one sided – I expect you might not be as familiar with me as I am with you (does that make me a stalker lol), but it doesn’t mean I don’t care.
So, how are you? You OK? You seem a little weird recently. You seem a little lost. I know you’ve had some money issues, but I thought you’d got over that and were about to reinvent yourself, but it seems there is still something happening. Something not good. But hey, just wanted to say I’m here and that I get it. I get where you are coming from. I understand you are pissed. I understand you feel that everything has got away from you and I understand that you want it back, but hang in there mate, you need to think about how you are going to do it.
Let’s take a moment to remember. Do you remember years ago when you were the most popular kid at school? Man I do, we all wanted to hang with you, there’s nothing more I wanted than for you to be hanging with me. You were SO cool, you were beautiful… no matter who we were, we all wanted you. Boys, girls, everyone. I would be lying if I said I didn’t still feel this way, sometimes.
I don’t know what happened after we kinda lost contact. Well, I say lost contact, but I kept up with you on social media, looked at your pictures, loved seeing your travels, loved seeing you hang with all the cool people, both old and new… but, you know, I kinda feel that along the way you were losing yourself. You were not ‘you’ anymore.
Here is how I see it, you look pissed. I’ve seen the people you work with talking about stuff, and it seems a little strange – almost aggressive – so I’m doing what every friend should do, and talking to you.
You are still one of my favourites. You are still the one we look up to, but you know, don’t worry about all those ‘big boys’ around you, if they are emulating you, it’s more of a tribute. Fighting them for wearing a style that is a little like yours isn’t going to stop them from doing it. And hey, let’s be honest here, you yourself have, in the past, borrowed from other people’s styles and let’s face it, it looked as good on you as it did on them. In fact, Marty still has that original strut, yours is the same, but it’s yours now. In fact, it looks as bracing on him as it does on you. And man, you know Deano, he’s been around forever, he’s always been up to all kinds of crazy stuff, but he looks up to you man, we all do.
I want you to get your swagger back. I want you to be the one we all look up to, but there is only one way to do it. Make sure you do you better than anyone else does. It’s no good stopping the tribute acts if their tribute is better at you than you are, if you just do you and do it like only you can, the tribute acts won’t be able to compete. Reinventing yourself and saying “I feel like a new person” but not acting any differently, and then shouting at those who are not even really copying your style, just won’t cut it with the people around you. Let’s be honest, let’s be completely straight here, you rely on these people around you, so why are you doing this? Come on man, you’re still the guy. You’re still the coolest kid in town, but you know, you have to be YOU first and foremost. Do you remember that kid in the big hat all those years ago that made you popular again? You know the one, he had a huge appetite for destruction at the time… Such a sweet child. Do you remember that he wasn’t even with you and Lester at the time, it was someone who looked like you both, and we all thought it was, but it wasn’t. And boy, didn’t you ever maximise on that. That took you back to the top and you stayed there for years, I think in fact you fed your family for the longest time because of him.You really used that illusion! Crazy days, amirite? lol
Here’s what I see happening. There are people, people without scruples that are straight up copying you. Everything about you. Dude, they have even forged your signature. They are hard to get to, because they are hiding far, far away, but you know, you have the reach to get to them. These are the guys who are hurting you, I mean, they can’t be you on a budget and we all know it, but because they do this, in your exact style, people are losing trust in you. The ones you are currently pissed at aren’t causing you trouble, it’s those others that are trying to be you on the cheap. Those are the people you need to be talking to. They are coming on strong, they are everywhere. Take them on first, and take them on completely, then take them down. All your friends, the people who work in the same kinda place you do, will love you forever if you do, because they are killing us all man! lol
Mate, I hope you understand that this is done from a position of love. I care about you. I want you to be THE man around town, but taking swipes at others ain’t gonna cut it my friend. You’ve had the chance to be yourself again, take it. Embrace it. Excel at it. Be the best, because if you do you at your best, no one can touch you.
So, I’m gonna sign off now Gibby…. But please, be strong. Be you, and stop losing your head. You’ve been losing your head for ages, be stronger and we will love you even more, especially if your head stays on top of your neck.
Faithfully yours, and always up to have you come and hang around me, or in my dreams around my neck (lol),
Jason.