Good Bye Old Friend.

I lost an old friend tonight. The spring on my trusty Kyser capo that I have owned as long as I have been playing guitar snapped while working on a song for a friends wedding.

Me and this capo have lived a lot of life together. This whole relationship started back in the summer of 1995 when I started playing guitar (thanks Jay). Later that year I received a guitar for Christmas (same one I still play [she needs some work done]) from my aunt Pat and then "borrowed" this particular capo from my youth minister Allen Gonzalez.

I suppose I technically "stole" the capo, but is it considered stealing if you never intended to keep it forever? At what point does it become "stolen"? My guess, in this instance, would be when I began referring to my capo as the one I "accidentally stole from my youth minister". But, see its still all gray because it was an accident. I don't know.

Perhaps I should mail it back to Allen with a thank you card. Lets see, how that may sound.

Dear Rev. Gonzalez,

Thank you for the use of your Kyser capo (pat. 4,583,440). It came in superly dooperly handy since I didn't own one of my own and it was really really kind of you to allow me to use one of yours for the past dozen or so years.

I am returning it because I am no longer in need of your Kyser capo because it has some how become broken and I, obviously, have no need for a broken capo. It would only be right of me to return the now broken capo to its rightful owner. I will, however, argue that perhaps I should retain custody of the capo since it has been in my possession for such a long time.

Imagine, if you will, a wolf that was raised from a pup by a nice suburban family with an SUV and season tickets to the ballet and then 12 years later the wolf was returned to its rightful pack. Would that be fair? I don't think so. Imagine the relationship that has been forged between this glorious animal and its new "pack". A dozen or so years of shared experiences that can't be bought with the purest gold.

So after some time thinking about this sensitive issue I am writing to inform you that I will not be returning the capo to you since I have become the capo's true owner. Sure I technically stole the capo (accidentally), but lets not argue over the details.

the bottom line is that the capo is broken, period, and will never be used again by me or you or anyone else on this magnificent planet. Unless I chose to recycle it, then perhaps one day it will be used in the construction of something breathtaking, like a skyscraper or a Toyota Prius.

Thank you again for letting me borrow/steal your capo so many years ago.

With all my breath,

The Reverend Christopher B. Holohan

Cheers readers, do your best to not snap a spring on your good friend tonight. I have no idea what that means, but it sound awful.

Chris