Oh no! I have somehow incapacitated my guitar barre-ing finger! Specifically, it hurts at the crease of the second joint of my index finger, more or less on the side nearest my thumb. When attempting a barre chord it feels as though someone is jamming broken glass into that spot! Painful probing and close examination reveals that there is a vein traversing that spot that has developed something akin to a callus around it. It seems that any pressure on this callus results in the kind of pain I have described. Note: it only hurts when pressure is applied.

I know. I know. "If it hurts when you do that, then don't do it!" But it is killing me not to play the songs I love. I've transposed as many as I can to keys that don't require a barre chord; but it usually winds up being in a key unfavorable to my voice range. Plus, there are so many songs that no amount of transposing will eliminate the need for barre chords. And yes, I've tried using bandages to cushion the afflicted digit while playing guitar; but that doesn't really have much of a positive effect.

This has been going on for nearly three weeks now. I admit that the enforced disuse of that finger has brought a considerable reduction in the pain; but my wife, Carmen, is starting to notice that I am eyeing her autoharp with a certain degree of envy.

I have never experienced anything quite like it and, since I don't know exactly what caused it to suddenly become a problem, I have no idea how to prevent it from happening again. I feel sure that time will heal this wound just as it does most others. I certainly hope that when it finally subsides, it never returns.

Well, thanks for "listening." I just needed to gripe about it.