Not being able to play is frustrating as hell. I've walked with crutches all my life and buggered my shoulders in the process (the human shoulder isn't designed for that). Now I use a wheelchair. Playing the guitar is a bit of a problem because the lower bout of the guitar and the right wheel of the wheelchair want to occupy the same space. On top of this, I have range-of-motion problems with my left shoulder, which throws my left hand out of position.

I found two solutions which I use interchangeably. One solution: I got myself a small travel guitar (a GO guitar) that I can hold far enough to the right so it doesn't bother my left hand, and it's small enough so it doesn't bump the wheel. My left hand is still a little out of position. It works fairly well. but I can't play the flashy stuff I used to (which is frustrating when I used to be regarded as the fastest gun in town). The other solution: I've discovered the pleasure of singing unaccompanied. I'm learning lots of ballads, and I find it goes over well wherever I sing. Singing without the guitar gives a whole new dimension to singing that I had never really explored before.

Fixed income. Yup. Having spent my life hopping around and singing like Aesop's grasshopper rather than the industrious ant who toiled away storing up for winter, I didn't provide for my geezerhood, so my whole income is from my monthly Social Security check. My wife works part-time at the library. Financially, we work pretty close to the vest, but fortunately we live in a co-op apartment and own a share in the building, which allows us pay a nominal monthly maintenance fee rather than rent. Smart move twenty-five years ago! We have an economical car (Toyota Corolla). We enjoy friends, entertain fairly often, we go to Bob Nelson's to swap songs every time he throws a hoot. I spend a lot of time writing (which I've always wanted to do). We don't go to movies, but Barbara brings home videos from the library. We enjoy reading a lot. As long as we have three squares and a roof over our heads, we're doin' fine. We sometimes wonder about people whose income is four times what ours is and are always deep in debt.

I don't know if any of this helps, Bob, but I hope there's something in there you can use. Certain aspects of life can be a pain in the arse at times, but life itself is pretty glorious!

Don Firth