A Great Loss for Metal

This morning I was listening to the KQ morning show, and I heard about the nightclub shooting in Ohio. Sadly, one of metal's great guitarists, "Dimebag" Darrell, from Damage Plan, formerly of Pantera, was a victim. On the morning show they even played Pantera's song Respect in tribute to Dimebag. (If you've ever listened to Pantera, you probably know that they don't exactly fit into KQ's classic rock format, so this was a truly rare event.) Respect is one of my favorite Pantera tunes. I love the spirit of the song, which contains an admonition to be true to oneself. The best line is:



"Don't be something you're not, be yourself, by yourself."



What a freeing thought - do whatever is true to yourself. It's an inspiration to do something really courageous, like flying a plane, saving a stray cat, or eschewing the Gap. At least Dimebag got to go while he was doing something he loved, something he was really good at. I have a phobia of semi-trucks, particularly United States Postal Service ones. I comfort myself by the thought that if I get taken out by a USPS semi-truck, at least I'll die doing something I love, driving the Echo. To be yourself, by yourself, to do what you love, is all any of us can really aim for.



From CNN, the full story on the shooting.