I take gigs and I compete, but if there isn't either coming up soon, I have the tendancy to leave the pipes in the cradle. Playing is playing, but to keep a pipe band from dying out or a solo piper on the boards, you have to compete because it sets goals. At 50, competing is not a cut-throat thing or even a stressful occasion for me. The purpose of competing is strictly self-improvement; not to kill the other guy. Most adjudicators are very good at giving advice on your score sheet - I don't mind getting advice from Alistair Gillies! Competitor pipers are very friendly with one another and also very helpful. It can also add credentials to your resume as a working piper to say that you are a grade 2, or that you won the gold medal or whatever...