Collections ::

A while back Buster sent out an e-mail to his list asking what we may have collected as kids. About all I could remember were my grandmother's switches and my marbles, but today he forwarded me this from Blair Holden:

Hi Buster

In response to your question about collecting, about the only thing I collected was baseball cards. Do you remember when we used to play "baseball" with our cards? We used a pencil for the bat and a marble for the ball. We would play on your or my side porch. The kids now would think we were crazy but we sure had a lot of fun. Do you remember in school David Parker used to collect the round centers from the glass milk bottles. He would say that was going to be money on Pluto when he got there. I don't think he made it.

On another subject I remember an email from you a few months back about Jim Ring playing his trumpet again and being in a band. On a personal note I have always (like a lot of people I guess) liked to listen to good old rock and roll. I had always thought about playing a guitar. When I was in high school I thought about ordering a guitar from Sears for about $20. I never did due to sports and school. Fast forward 40 years and I still have a desire to play the guitar. I took the plunge about 18 months ago and bought an inexpensive
acoustic guitar and started taking lesson. I am having fun and learning to play the guitar! I would never have dreamed that I would be playing rock and roll songs I listened to in high school. While I never will be on TV, I will have years of enjoyment and hopefully bring joy to others. The point of this is that it is never too late to fulfill your desire to do something. I don't have musical talent but where there is a will there is a way. Hopefully this and Jim Ring's story might get some on our classmates off the couch. Guess what I want for Christmas? A Fender American Standard Stratocaster electric guitar. Rock ON and Don't Ever Grow Up!

Blair

Blair's desire to play guitar is interesting. About a year ago I decided to take the guitar back up even though my musical ability is nil (or less)! I had a nice guitar in high school and college, but sold it for tuition money and never bought another until last year when I picked up a Takamine and an Ovation. I've been gradually learning some things and it's fun. In some ways I think that it's easier to pick up new things at our age. It's not really that I have more time, but I think that I have more patience!

Blair, I hope you get your Strat for Christmas!

PS: I'm watching the Concert For George on DVD right now. Eric Clapton has nothing to fear from me!