Beat It

Age caused him to lose some dexterity, and now his joints aren’t able to absorb all the shock of the heavy bashing like when he was young, but his stiff fingers still want to play, because that is what drummers do and his whole life, he has been a drummer.  His rhythm is right on the money and he still has good listening skills, so he never misses a beat.  For as long as there has been music, there have been drummers and he put in years of hard work and tireless practice to get where he is, and this persistence has gotten him to where he is today.  He worked as a session musician as part of the L.A. Wrecking Crew and he spent a short time being in the Funk Brothers, as well as the Swampers, but repetitive motions have led to bursitis flareups, so he is thinking about retiring and possibly going into production or teaching.  This will be his last show and he is going to beat the hell out of his drums tonight.

Written for Fandango’s Flash Fiction Challenge #152.