Only One Thing ...

If I could keep only one possession . . .

. . . it would by my guitar.

Music is endless and eternal. You can carry it in your head or
express it loudly to the world. It is a relief from the tediums of
the mind. It calms and cleanses.

But it is also a door to endless mystery. One can play music forever
and forever find melodies and tunes that are new to him.

Through effort alone you grow. No matter what talent you start with,
you can always improve. This certainty is a bulkhead for happiness in
old age. I dream of being an old man, sitting on a backporch
somewhere in the country, with a guitar and a glass of sweet tea, and
a group of friends around to strum some tunes with.

Nothing ever remains the same long in my life, but today that is my
answer. Take my climbing shoes, my skis and my boat, my books, my
journals, my photos of the past. But I will fight for my guitar with
my last breath.