I've been playing guitar since I was 10. That nearly 50 years but there's a first time for everything.

I always tie my guitar strap up at the head of the guitar, rather then putting a strap button at the heel of the neck ... but yesterday, I was using a borrowed guitar for a performance in Alabama ... for 100 or so, very attentive ladies ... and I decided to switch instruments, after a particularly powerful song. As I raised the guitar quickly to take off, the heel attached strap surprisingly caught at my shoulders (not my guitar, I wasn't expecting it) ... and WHAM! The rim of the guitar smacked my sharply on the orbit of my eye socket; and damn HARD!

All eyes were already on me at that moment, so I hoped the sharp pain I felt wasn't going to spoil the mood, or slow down the "show" ... but sure enough, I could see the swelling begin out of my peripheral vision, as I pretended the bang was no big deal.

I strapped on the banjo and hoped to get into the next song and just about the time I saw two ladies in the front row leap toward me with paper towels, I felt (and saw) the blood trickling down my eye onto my cheek. It was my first on-stage, guitar injury.

Live folk music sure can be dangerous!!