Hello from Washington, DC suburbs.

Hello all,
My name is Brian Phillips, and I live in Rockville, MD. I didn't get my first guitar until I was 25, mainly due to a 5th grade music teacher that told me I had no talent and never would have any. (I was attempting to learn the trumpet).  That discouraged me for several years.
But it wasn't until several years after that first guitar that I actually started learning anything. I worked for a guy who was a drummer, and he introduced me to what I considered a genius with a guitar. He was an awesome player, and had a great deal of theory in his head. He would come to my house every Sunday and we'd play for 5 or 6 hours. This went on for a couple of years, so I was getting a good education. Oh, did I mention that I am left handed, and was learning to play right handed? I had to squeeze that in there.
As is always the case, he moved away when his wife got a transfer to Texas, and my playing slowly started to dwindle. I only had a couple of friends who played.
Cut to 17 years later, and I've got a renewed passion to pick up where I left off and continue my education. I bought a fantastic course from Desi Serna about a month ago, and I have already started learning more that I ever knew before. Now I wish my playing would catch up to my knowledge that I am attaining.
Anyway, this looks like a fantastic forum and I'm glad you'll have me as a member. (I used to tell people that I would never join an organization that would have someone like me for a member. <sarcasm>). I hope to become a much more accomplished player because of the talent I see here. Thank you.