As of a few days ago I'm now the owner of a guitar (again), and will be relearning to play after about 35 years off. In high school and college in the 1960's I used to play guitar at the Beginner level on a nice-sounding Giannini. Simple folk songs, enough to accompany myself singing and playing just for myself, in my room or in the dorm stairwell. I had a few friends who played guitar well, but it didn't cross my mind to try to play with them, as we were at such a different level.

The Giannini got smashed in a house-move, and I was without a guitar for a couple of decades. Eventually, at an Auction benefiting my choir, I bought a friend's Yamaha, which was a good-looking guitar, but once I got it home I found that trying to play it was very awkward and painful. I thought it was just me, getting out-of-shape older. When I moved to Maryland, and started going to Open Sings, I got tired of only being able to sing unaccompanied songs. I kept getting out the guitar and trying to play it, but just got nowhere. A couple of minutes and I just couldn't take it anymore.

Since I'm quite short (5"0"), I finally realized maybe my guitar was just not a good size for me. So this fall, encouraged by several local people, and what I read on the Mudcat, I decided to look into getting a different guitar. I visited The Guitar Store near where I work in Washington DC and was matched up (after a trade) with an affordable 3/4 sized Sunlite and there was an immediate affinity. What a happy day! It feels right and the tone is very nice. I plan to take some lessons to get started out on a good foot and hopefully avoid picking up bad habits. (Last time my next-door-neighbor and I began together, using a book).

I can't do much yet, and of course my fingers are very tender, but the guitar feels as comfortable as it's possible at this stage. I hope I have the patience to wait and develop skills solidly and slowly rather than remembering where I was (or where my mind thinks I was) and getting frustrated. Has anyone begun again after a long time, and how did it go?

This time, I have a community: two communities, really. The local folk groups - and this time I will not be reclusive. And the Mudcat. Over the last week I've found such a wealth of messages on how to build up stamina, how to learn 1-, 2- and 3-chord songs, about learning by playing with a group where you can just blend in the background, even how to not worry about "copying" others. I'm saving the most helpful messages in an electronic journal, and keeping traces on some of the many relevant threads.

I had started to worry a little because I find myself greeting my new guitar ("Hello, guitar!") when I take it out of its case several times a day. But there's a thread about that too!

Well, it's a beautiful day, and I really should be outside. It's 62 degrees in Maryland in the middle of December! But first, "Freight train, freight train, goin' so fast...."