Wasted Years.

Often the learning process takes longer than we'd like. Sometimes waaaay longer...but on the flip side, those tend to be the lessons we REALLY learn. It's part of the process nonetheless, so I'd hesitate to call it "wasted" time.

This hobby shoehorns many disparate pursuits into one box: musical appreciation, music library building, system building, community building & participation, wife/girlfriend management, technical know-how, gear lust, budgeting (or lack of), and the addictive dopamine hits from new acquisitions. It can definitely be hard to find a good balance here!

Started upgrading my system shortly after I started on Audiogon (coincidence?).  Over 25 years later now, I sometimes sit back and ask myself, "what rainbow are you still chasing?"  The vast variety of new music available through the addition of digital streaming has been a great impetus for me to refocus on the music instead of the gear.  The only meaningful changes to my system in the past 5 years have been in the digital realm, which is not surprising.  

They are both relevant and can be exclusive or inclusive. 

@mulveling 

Often the learning process takes longer than we'd like. Sometimes waaaay longer...but on the flip side, those tend to be the lessons we REALLY learn. It's part of the process nonetheless, so I'd hesitate to call it "wasted" time.

The same could be said for many pursuits in life. It's certainly true of the arts. 

It's easy in this hobby to miss the forest for the trees. Lots of folks around here have their noses glued to the bark.