BuffettNews.com

HOW BEING A PARROTHEAD HAS CHANGED MY LIFE
by Garry MacKenzie Joseph

I now know and have seen first hand that I'm not the only fat old guy who can get drunk while observing hundreds of hot babes showing skin.

THE END

My very first concert I just showed up on a whim. I had no ticket, no food, no booze,
nothing. Some young parrotheads took me under their wing and helped my get a good
ticket off of a scalper, filled me with beer, and let me cook and share their food with
them. Since then every JB tailgate I've been to I've never let anyone walk by hungry
or thirsty. I've also recruited my younger brothers to join in the "potlatch" and it's been
alot of fun. I've interacted with people of all ages and spent alot more time with
younger women than anyone would expect of someone "my age". It really gives me
something to look forward to every spring and summer. It's also been good bonding
experiance with family members that I've included. It's like showing up at a party
where everyone is invited and welcome. It has definately lowered my blood pressure
and increased my tolerance for alcohol.

big john wrote:It's like showing up at a party where everyone is invited and welcome.

Exactly! Well put!

SchoolGirlHeart wrote:

big john wrote:It's like showing up at a party where everyone is invited and welcome.

Exactly! Well put!

Yep!

And crosses all ages...I've been with teens, and Great Grandmothers!

Anything we remain loyal to, to a significant degree, has the capability of drastically changing our lives. When I first listened to his music at 11 years old, never did I think that he would be my spearhead through the winter months. Think about it. Before Buffett, you cannot find another artist which based his work on something so simple and beautiful as the weather. Though I do not consider him or anyone near God-like status, he has influenced my life in nearly every capacity. From vacation destinations, to shopping, or how I look at a palm tree, whether he likes it or not, his dream sparked mine before I knew it always existed.

Travel.. to places I never heard of.. and some I had.. just never thought to
see myself there..

Friends.people I love.. many... many.. all of them a Blessing

Music.. artists I would have in no way heard of.. both Trop-Rock
and other stuff..
Food.. Uh.. have you met me??
Drink.. I'm gonna try a drink called WHAT???
Understanding that while it's not easy being me... it is at least OK..
Adventures.. and those have just started..

I have stories. Lots of stories. People just come to expect that I am either planning the next escape, on it, or just fresh back from one. and even my dentist and her staff have started asking "when is it going to be Hawaiian shirt weather again?"

and as others have said: being part of a large family where the reunions involve good music, good food, and magic you don't want to end.

I just drove several hundred miles (some of it in an unexpected snowstorm) to have dinner and drinks with people from 7 different states. Does that sound like something "normal" people would do??

I don't know that it's "changed" my life.....but it has most definitely 'ENHANCED' my life.

My career and family choices would have been the same, parrothead or not, but the friendships and experiences I've had related to being part of this wonderfully weird community has made my life richer.

Having Jimmy's music to rely on for entertainment and to lift my spirits when needed has been a very important part of my life!

It puts a slightly more positive light on my public drunkeness

pbans wrote:I don't know that it's "changed" my life.....but it has most definitely 'ENHANCED' my life.

My career and family choices would have been the same, parrothead or not, but the friendships and experiences I've had related to being part of this wonderfully weird community has made my life richer.

Having Jimmy's music to rely on for entertainment and to lift my spirits when needed has been a very important part of my life!

"ENHANCED" - I like that. I've loved reading all the "enhancements" that BNers have enjoyed because of Jimmy. I have always felt that many aspects of my life were better because of him and his music. Please keep 'em coming.

I've finally been pigeon-holed.

Jimmy's music and the phriends I've made as a result of being a parrothead are the icing on my cake of life.

it hasn't!!! Just a whole lot of new friends!!!

pair8head wrote:Being a PH lead me here.
Being here lead me to meet Connie.

Nuf said.

Stuff like that never happens. You're just making that up.

Well, I personally believe that I've always been a parrothead, but that is another story for another day. However, to answer the question as best as I can, being a parrothead has changed my life because I no longer feel like I am the only person on the planet that understands that if you don't like this life, you're crazy.

First of all, Buffett's music came into my life when I needed it the most. I started seriously listening to Jimmy's music in July of 2007, and my mother passed away in November of 2007. The music got me through those days when I did not want to smile. Plus, this music lessens the stress of the reality of life. It's nice to be able to put a little paradise into a busy work day.

I've also joined a parrothead club where I have met some of the nicest people and have formed some fantastic friendships. I also love making a difference in my own back yard. In a world where there are so many causes to contribute to , being a parrothead has reminded me that charity does begin at home.

I made a new year's resolution when 2008 rolled around that I would go to my first Buffett show when the 2008 tour happened. Now I intended to go to just 1 show, but well, that 1 show turned into 5 shows, and I wouldn't have missed any of it for the world. In particular, I never thought I would ever go to Las Vegas, but I did go to Las Vegas, and I had so much fun with some of the nicest BNers. I am planning to go back to Las Vegas again this year. A well meaning but overly dramatic friend tried to talk me out of going to Vegas, but I'm glad I did not listen to her.

Okay, so this post was probably too long, and if you made it to the end, God bless you. It's so hard to believe that all of this happened in the space of one year thanks to JB's music. I love the madness, and I am looking forward to doing it again this year.

I never listened to Buffett until 1999. My wife and I took a trip from Washington State to Florida to visit the recently retired in-laws. Her older brother, a parrothead, introduced us to our new way of life via...Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville in Orlando. While gobbling down a "cheeseburger in paradise" a song came on that caught my attention. I don't know why but a small verse from the song stuck in my head (No time to count what I'm worth...Hey i just left the planet earth). Spent 10 days enjoying the Florida lifestyle then had to head back to the rat-race in Seattle. A few days had passed...and i couldn't get that song out of my head. Logged on to AOL to see if i could find a Wav. file (8 second sound file..lol) of the song. After much searching I found it....Volcano (Feeding Frenzy, 1990). Rushed to the local store at 9:15pm to find that cd. Found it. Bought it. Brought it home and listened to it for weeks. Many cd's followed. Many changes followed. In 2002, we traded beautiful (and dreary) Seattle, WA. for sunny Tampa, FL.

How has being a Parrothead changed your life?

It persuaded me to move 2524 miles from the life I had to the life I wanted. " I have found me a home"

p.s. degrees: Seattle 52, Tampa 80

RumPhanFL wrote:I never listened to Buffett until 1999. My wife and I took a trip from Washington State to Florida to visit the recently retired in-laws. Her older brother, a parrothead, introduced us to our new way of life via...Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville in Orlando. While gobbling down a "cheeseburger in paradise" a song came on that caught my attention. I don't know why but a small verse from the song stuck in my head (No time to count what I'm worth...Hey i just left the planet earth). Spent 10 days enjoying the Florida lifestyle then had to head back to the rat-race in Seattle. A few days had passed...and i couldn't get that song out of my head. Logged on to AOL to see if i could find a Wav. file (8 second sound file..lol) of the song. After much searching I found it....Volcano (Feeding Frenzy, 1990). Rushed to the local store at 9:15pm to find that cd. Found it. Bought it. Brought it home and listened to it for weeks. Many cd's followed. Many changes followed. In 2002, we traded beautiful (and dreary) Seattle, WA. for sunny Tampa, FL.

How has being a Parrothead changed your life?

It persuaded me to move 2524 miles from the life I had to the life I wanted. " I have found me a home"

p.s. degrees: Seattle 52, Tampa 80

but you never have to worry about melenoma in Seattle...

Just wanted say "thanks" to you all for some really great posts......

This thread made me think that being a Parrothead is really a statement of personal individuality in a world that promotes everyone being swept along in the tide of society. We're usually told things like "Don't make waves." or "Do what that person does." or "Be more like him or her."

Parrotheads aren't afraid to say "Hold the bus. I'm getting off. Life is too short to be part of that crap." And funny thing is once we step off the bus we suddenly find this great group of other like-minded people wearing flowered shirts & flipflops, listening to Jimmy Buffett music, and passing the pitcher of margaritas around......it's then you realize that "My God, we are the people our parents warned us about!"

And once you've left the bus, there's no going back........

It hasn't changed my life at all. I'm still the same quiet, reserved, very dull person I've always been.