Amish Guitar

I've just returned from another weekend long campout/family reunion at my parent's farm This time around it was my father's side of the family. And, like last time, I took my guitar with me to noodle on. Now, dad's side is not anything like my mom's side. I love them dearly, but I never really feel like I fit in while growing up. It is a sports oriented family and I just didn't know how to relate to them. While they played sports, I read books and did my own thing. Now that I'm adult, it isn't so bad.

But vestiges remain.

I spent some time just noodling around, trying to find a chord progression that could be adapted for a song on my mind. I had several of my cousins and their offspring sit and listen or ask questions that were kind of cool. But I also had people shooting off their mouths "Don't you know how to play anything?" "That's not how that goes!" "Play Stairway!" I was just waiting for someone to shout "Freebird." I had one uncle walk up to me and say "I used to wish I could sing, but now I pray you don't." Nice. He's also the one who said "you ain't no Roy Clark, but you sure is as big as him." Nice again. At least that's what I think he said. He didn't have his teeth in at the time. I found it all quite frustrating.

In the end, however, I did my own thing, like I always do, and that's just fine. I was heartened when one of my cousin's children asked me to get my guitar out. She said "Why aren't you playing? I like to hear you play." Now that was nice