Anvil Rocks...Perseverence Style

Hey all,

Happy Memorial Day!!! Hope everyone is enjoying a great holiday weekend. It's a great chance to remember what service men and women have done for our country as we spend time relaxing, grilling out with family and friends, or just taking a breather away from the normal routine. Whatever your plans may be, I wish you a happy Memorial Day.

On to today's topic...perseverence. There are many ways to define it, give examples of it, talk about it, blog about it, think about it, and well...the list goes on and on. But there's a wonderful little film out in theatres now that SHOWS what perseverence is. That film is called, "Anvil, The Story of Anvil." Click here for the movie website.

Now, let me admit a few things here. One, I love independent films. Anything out of Sundance or Cannes is something on my list to see. But I also know that independent film isn't everyone's cup of tea. However, there are some Indies which fit into both the 'art house' audience and the general audience. This is one of them. Go see it!

Two, I (like many) had never heard of this Canadian band who were playing gigs the same time as Metallica, Whitesnake, Slayer, Twisted Sister, Judas Priest and all those other heavy metal bands that I vaguely heard of but never really listened to.

Three, I don't like heavy metal. Never did. I heard of those other bands above either because friends listened to the music or because their ballads were played at every high school dance. But I'd never heard of Anvil.

What a story. These guys should have their picture next to 'perseverence' in the dictionary. They began playing when they were 16. Despite never hitting the big success that their aforementioned peers did, they continued to play gigs, using their vacation time to go on tours which were often filled with various complications and disappointments.

You know what? They kept going.

This isn't a pollyanna story; things were far from perfect. Their families began to question how things would work, the band members began to question themselves, and sometimes that doubt crept in so strong that it ripped the members apart.

But you know what? They kept going.

Now there's a film about their journey, and it's wonderful. Even if you don't like Indie film, even if you hate heavy metal music - - this is a wonderful documentary about 2 guys who just wouldn't quit.

Inspiring, I'd say. Now, off to write and chase that dream...