[petebradt]

The drummer in my band has an un-supportive wife. She's not one of those harridans who says "lose the band or lose me," but her demanding nature takes away a lot of time he could spend improving (and he's not bad now but he sometimes has precious little time to 'shed). It creates a lot of cognitive dissonance for him, and just plain ol' stress.

OTOH, J is so completely supportive, it blows me away. She's not the type to buy me guitars (which really, I don't need or even want beyond the Gretsch 6119 Tennessee Rose, and yeah, that IS a Jones) but when we had a big gig last fall, I was thinking of asking a friend to act as my guitar handler and she said, "hey, I'll do it."

She's hurt her back so she doesn't schlep amps any more, but she has in the past and she still will schlep my Baritone and a Tele.

If you have a wife or partner who is supportive and doesn't complain when you're off gigging, practicing or recording, and who will *always* show up for the important ones, work the merch table and never mentions a discouraging word to the ass*ole in the band you want to choke, treasure her and support her in whatever she loves. Because you have a gem. I know I sure do.