Picture of the day - December 21, 2006

Dad's Guitar

I have many precious memories of my dad. He loved life and he was a true joy to be around, always eager to tell a joke or an interesting story from his childhood. His favorite pastime was fishing, but playing his guitar must surely have been a close second. There was always a guitar of one type or another in our house, and dad would often sit and pick it for a while, creating a quality of entertainment that couldn't be found on any record. After all, that was my dad making music, not some famous Country Music star from Nashville, and the music he made sounded just as good - better, in fact than anything we heard on the radio. I remember spending many hours sitting at dad's feet, watching his fingers work their magic on the frets and strings as they masterfully recreated the sweet sounds of "Wildwood Flower", "Will The Circle Be Unbroken", "I've Got A Tiger By The Tail" and countless other popular songs of the day, most of which are now considered classics. Dad was what you might call a "jack of all trades" - one of those talented, fast-learning people who could do just about anything that necessity and empty pockets required him to do - sometimes just barely well enough to get the job done. But there were some things that he did extremely well, and picking a guitar was one of them. He wasn't your average jack of all trades! In his later years, severe arthritis made it increasingly difficult for dad to play his guitar, so he usually only picked it up when someone asked him to. Everyone who knew him loved to watch and hear him play so he always received plenty of requests, and to the best of my recollection he never refused one. He loved making others happy, and he knew that his music always did. Dad went to be with the Lord several years ago, and now his precious guitar is on permanent display in my brother's home. Like a prized exhibit in a museum, it is an ever-present reminder of the man who put so many smiles on so many faces by making great music - no radio required.   Submit a photo of your own! Picture of the day archives