Al and His Guitar

Yesterday at the store, an old man, Al, came in with his granddaughter to pick up her flute that we had repaired. He asked if we had any flat-wound guitar strings for his Gibson 225-T. We didn’t have the strings, and as I began to look them up in the catalog, he began to tell me some of his story.

Al had been looking for a guitar when he was a much younger man, and his friend at Ferguson Music gave him a call to let him know he had put back a guitar from a new shipment that he thought he might like. Al went in, tried the guitar, and bought it right then. There was a blind man that tuned the pianos at Ferguson and at a bunch of different places around town. He said the blind man had an incredible ear, and was one of the best piano tuners around. The first thing Al did after he bought the guitar was take it to the blind man for him to adjust the pickups to get the perfect balance. Al said when he got the guitar back, it was magical how good it sounded after the adjustments.

Now, obviously, Al loves this guitar. In fact, he said that just about everyone that’s ever played it has offered to buy it from him. While he didn’t really say it, I could tell that he absolutely loves playing it too. One of my favorite things to do is to listen to people talk about their favorite things. I love the passion that people have, the life that is evident, when they talk about the things they love. Al had that type of passion in his voice. Here’s where Al absolutely broke my heart, but showed me a brilliant picture of what real love looks like.

He proceeded to tell me that he hadn’t played his guitar in a long time. His wife had gotten “the cancer”. She knew she didn’t have a long time left to live, and so she asked him to put his guitar up for a while so that they could spend as much time together as possible. So Al put it up...
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I can’t really explain why, but that was such a clear picture of true love to me. To put aside something that you care deeply about to pursue time with someone that you care even more deeply about. I hope that I can learn something from Al, that its very worth putting yourself aside for a little while to bring yourself as close to someone as possible, to put them ahead of yourself. I think that we can learn something from this about how to live like Christ has called us to live too.

This, my friends, is a new year.

Whether you're calling it 2010, 20 aught 10, 2kx, or 2000 o' 10, it's upon us.

2009 presented a wealth of new opportunity, frustration, joy, heartache, confusion, hope. I can honestly say that I could not have imagined the things that would take place last year, but here are some of the highlights:

-I basically told some friends of mine that I was going to be in their band. They let me in, and we've now recorded the first full-length album in The Red River Connection's storied history. I've been incredibly blessed to have a chance to make music with these guys and live a little bit of real life in the process. So thank you, joshmicahbonniekarenzac for continuing to teach me that the definition of family is so much more than those people that you share genetics with.

-In the last 2 months, it seems like the majority of my friends have gotten engaged. I'm now singing at 6 weddings this year, and I couldn't be more honored to have been asked to do so. Some of their journeys have been a joy, others have been labor, but ultimately I feel blessed to have been a part of each one in some way. I'm excited to see these friends move into a new season of life, knowing that they will live to glorify Christ in their marriages.

-I've learned some life lessons, the hard way of course. A little bit about heartache, and a lot about hope. I've done so with friends old and new, and I thank God for them.

-I fell in love with a new instrument. The dobro has presented challenges far greater than I expected, but has also led to some of my favorite music moments of the last year.

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Yesterday morning, I sat around a table eating breakfast with some of my closest friends. The topic of new years resolutions was unavoidable, so we dove right in. I've learned that one should set goals that are actually attainable (which may sound like common sense, but it's advice rarely taken). Here are a few of mine for this fresh start:

-I want to read on purpose, not just when I feel like it or am obligated to for a class. Reading has led to the hardest questions I've ever been asked, and has also led to simple pleasures that can't be matched by any other thing.

-I want to practice an instrument everyday, on purpose. I tend to get comfortable with where my skill level sits on most instruments, and I don't push myself any further. I want to practice something on purpose everyday, to build that discipline which will lead to better creativity.

-I want to write something everyday. Whether it's a blog post, a journal entry, a haiku, a letter to someone, or a quote that I heard earlier in the day, I want to write something every single day.

-I want to become a better listener. I want to be more empathic. I want to listen so that I can live, so that I can know whats happening with my friends, acquaintances, co-workers, family, and so that I can know whats happening in the world around me. I want to be where I'm at, not somewhere else.

-Taking a page from my friend Karen's book, I want to buy local when possible. Be it clothing, coffee, or carrots, I want to make an effort to support local vendors/farmers/designers/musicians/craftsmen. (btw, check out her recent post here)

-I want to drink more water, and eat more vegetables.

-I want to graduate college.

So there they are. Some tangible goals. What are yours?

Listen to these beautiful words, and find that there is hope for today.

I'm not sure who said this, but this is a phrase I want to hold onto this year:
"If there's breath in your lungs
there's another chance in your bones."