Finding a Reason to Play Guitar

Why am I playing this guitar? Why, after all those decades of not having the slightest desire to make any sort of music, is the guitar now so important?

Guitar World magazine offers 10 reasons why people take up the guitar and I tried to see where I fit in.

10. Mating: Attracting girls is certainly a motivator for a teenager and I certainly could have used the guitar's help in my youth but, after 20 years of marriage, this is no longer a factor.

9. Irritate Your Parents: Too late for that one, too.

8. An Alternative to the Sporting Life: I was always comfortable with my lack of athletic skill.

7. Improve Your Vocabulary: Guitar World says it's cool to sling around the guitar lingo and, while I might like to randomly throw out phrases like "replace the nut" and "lower the action," I don't think it elevates my social standing.

6. Be the Life of the Party: No, it would take more than a guitar to make me interesting.

5. Form a Band and Join the Circus: But that would mean I would have to give up my day job!

4. Head Start on a Psychology or Management Degree: You learn a lot about people by playing guitar in a band but I already know too much about people.

3. Versatility: Guitar World points out the guitar's versatility by saying you can’t play chords on a violin or slur notes on a piano or play counterpoint harmonies on a sax. Unfortunately, I can't do those things on a guitar, either.

2. Slay Your Idols: That's what Nietzsche said, meaning to surpass your mentors. Most of my
guitar idols are already dead, though.

1. Enlightenment: Ah, at last, here's a reason that pertains to me. I started in order to give myself a challenge, to do something different and something creative. To do something totally new and alien to me. Plus, the girls love it.