The guitar Essay

Submitted By bigal9568
Words: 637
Pages: 3

Alan Blondin

The Guitar A distant image of a stage and muffled sounds of cheering cleared as the stage grew closer. Three decades of shows culminated into one final performance. His decision to retire hadn’t come without great consideration. As he appeared on the stage for his last time he reached for his old Stratocaster; it was routine. As a child he dreamed of this day, as an adult he dreaded it. Platinum records, sold-out shows, he had done it all. A storied career of touring, long hours in the studio, and a party or two from time to time had finally come to its conclusion. His guitar had become nothing less than a staple of his performing career; everyone recognized it. Through the years his style changed and refined itself but one thing was always there: his Stratocaster. Its bright sunburst paint job was iconic and its tone recognizable as well as diverse. Maybe it was the vintage pickups, or maybe it was the smooth playability of the neck; he never could quite put a finger on why he loved it so much. It was this guitar that made his style so timeless. The day following his last performance came with photos and interviews—boy he had done his fair share of interviews. After arriving home that night he looked intently at his wife and two daughters. He had never spent the time with them that they deserved. His career had earned enough fortune to retire three times over, but this meant nothing to him if he couldn’t be a real husband and father. When the sun set that night he went to bed as a retired musician. Weeks passed and his guitar hung on the wall. He would glance at it from time to time but he could never bring himself to play it. It hung there as a reminder of his past; every time he looked at it he thought of how he had forgotten his family for it. It wasn’t long before his beloved guitar found a new home in the attic. Never did he do himself the justice of playing his instrument for sheer self-enjoyment. Now he had become old and retired. His youngest daughter was moving out. He could barely believe it; it seemed like not long ago she had taken her first steps. The moving van was on its way and he