If you love what you do…

Yesterday, my husband and I had the pleasure of spending some time visiting with George Gruhn of Gruhn Guitars. We took a friend’s guitar to the store to see if they would be interested in her line of guitars, never expecting to spend such quality time with a guitar expert.

I plunked around with a guitar in high school for awhile. My husband is a piano player. On a whole, our guitar knowledge pretty much extends to what we see our guitar-playing friends use and do. And, frankly, I know I’ve never had any interest in extending that knowledge. However, when we left the store, we left with this odd, new passion and interest in guitars in general. Why? Because Mr. Gruhn took the time to really explain guitars to us.

He taught us how the wood effects the sound. He explained what types of wood are best, and in one case even told us when a certain type of wood began to be used in guitar building. We both soaked it all up. Every word. Things that meant nothing to me before suddenly not only made sense, but seemed common sense when explained with the care, passion and knowledge that Mr. Gruhn spoke.

Photographers know their equipment. They know F-stops, white balance, aperture and focus.  Writers know words. They craft them with a skill beyond noun, verb, pronoun and prepositional phrases. Mechanics know cars. Car collectors know every nuance of every change in body style through the years. Accountants know math and money skills.

When you talk to someone who knows their craft, who truly loves what they do, some of their passion will inevitably rub off on you. You’ll find yourself learning and remembering things you never really thought you would need to know. Perhaps you DON’T need to know it… but in that moment, as that person is educating you about this thing they love, you feel you do need to know.

George Gruhn started with a love for guitars and has built a successful and legendary store and line from that love. It wasn’t by scheming or “politics” that he and his store has become a known name. No, it was his passion rubbing off on others, that then rubbed off on others, and then rubbed off on others…

I have had time to sit and think about this afternoon, and its made me wonder: What is my passion and love? What is that thing that I love to tell people about? Am I sharing my passion with others with a skill and confidence that will carry me where I want to go?

Are you?