The opportunity to take the guitar to Jim presented itself today and I went for it.
Jim lives in a care home way, Way, WAY outside of Atlanta. Miles and miles of 2-lane roads, and, of course, road construction sending me on the magical mystery tour.
I had a number of imagined scenarios as to how this would transpire; in the end, it was me presenting Jim his guitar to him out on the back porch on which he will be now spending many hours pickin' away. One other person was there, another guy was also a guitar player, out of touch with his guitar. So 3 guitar guys hung around for awhile.
Jim is really pretty ill. He looks even thinner than usual and he's been unsteady on his feet. His family got him a new cane. I am not sure he's that thrilled with it. He actually tipped over when he first bent down to open the guitar case. He coughed and over he went.
He quickly recovered and sat down with the guitar and started picking.
He was truly in shock; I did have to tell him a couple times it's his for the rest of his life.
I told him the rules are it's his until he goes, at which point it comes back to me and I'll find a new person who needs he. He loved the idea.
I also told him no Pete Townsend. It only took him a moment to catch the reference and he laughed.
I told him that a bunch of people on the internet agreed that he needed a guitar at this time and made it happen.
I apologized to Jim for forgetting picks, of all things, but he appears to be adept at finger-picking and was unphased. He says he used to buy guitar stuff at a store in Lawrenceville, so I am going to arrange for his sister to get him over there asap to do a little shopping spree for picks and straps and such.
Make the jump to see a happy guy.
This man is very, very happy.
I have only a very brief video snippet. There was little opportunity to do that. I got a few seconds, literally, of him picking around. I ask him if he likes it and he smiles then coughs hard. Then he gives you the smile I had hoped to catch anyway.
Doesn't that guitar look good on him?
He truly liked it after playing it for a bit: he liked the action, loves the color, and was blown away by the case.
So high-5s for all involved.
Thanks everybody!