I learned my first three chords on the guitar when I was in my early twenties and was only able to begin to practise them when I got myself a guitar at age twent-five.

After a car accident in the early eighties that left me with a pinched nerve in my neck and right arm and numbness in my right hand, I lost the desire to play the guitar, and I can hardly bear to think of the intensity of grief I felt about that. It was over a decade before I picked up the instrument again. At first I used to force myself. But that just made it worse. Eventually I simply stopped. But, I always wondered why, even when I was so broke I had nothing to eat, I could never bring myself to get rid of the guitar.

After about a decade the desire began to re-emerge, but it has never again been as intense a passion as it was. I have a series of interesting finger exercises that I stil do from time to time because they sound cool. I do this to keep my skills up and because my friends and family love to hear me sing, and so do I so I try to oblige them when they ask. I am extremely self-conscious when the spotlight is on me, though, so I need the guitar to hide behind while I sing. :`)

All I can say, Bob, is there may be a period of mourning for the loss of the desire. It won't hurt to just let that be and do what ever you need to do. There's no sense in pushing for passion that isn't there. It just pushes it away farther. I'm speaking from my own experience of course... "YMMV"*.

~ Jande

*"Your Mileage May Vary"