I think some times we're just impatient, you have to live in some communities for generations before your local. I remember when I started gigging, or trying to, quite a few years ago now. I felt that I was personally up against the big boys, and they just weren't shareing. It took alot of work, and I frequently felt certain people could have been more supportive. Now, although I don't consider myself at the top of the heap. I can see it, and the folks up there can hear me.

Today, if approached for help or advise, by someone looking up to me. I try to be as polite and helpfull as possible, with advise. But I'm not going to find work for you. I've got all I can do to keep myself working. And I gained a tremendous amount of knowledge while establishing my place the old fashion way, with hard work and perserverance.

I believe in this day and age many of us are alittle to expectant of immediate gratification. And the internet has become a great means for such gratification. Where as, instead of assembling and then thumbing through a stack of recordings. Then sitting infront of the stereo listening over and over and over again. We can come here and request the Lyrics and Guitar Chords to All For Me Grog or Old Dan Tucker. The info is immediatly there, but there are important skills, (particularly for a folkie), that just aren't being developed. The same is true of learning how to book and maintain a gig.

The established community is usaully not being exclusive because they take pleasure in being cruel. It's just that they earned a place in the community, and you have to also. Unfortunately that sometimes can take some time.