Coveting is Bad For You

The Ten Commandments? I can't list them.  I once knew them. Had to memorize them. I'm not Googling them now.  I don't really care.  I do know "thou shalt not kill," but then it became clear that there were so many exceptions (chicken & livestock, insects) and loopholes (war, self-defense, act of passion) that even that one seemed pretty lame.

"Don't covet thy neighbor's wife." That's another one.  Coveting is probably not a good idea. But our society is pretty much driven by coveting other people's stuff - wives, Cadillacs, diamonds.  I mean isn't coveting basically the driver of our economy?

I think for awhile I did covet Brad Pitt's girlfriend, but then I remembered that she also used to date Billy Bob Thornton and that pretty much killed my coveting urge. Anyway, I found myself in a major coveting situation a day or two ago.  I was over at a client's house and I noticed an old guitar case sitting in the corner.

I opened it up. It was kind of like that scene in Pulp Fiction, the glowing suitcase. This was the glowing guitar case.  There it was, an amazing, beautiful-looking old acoustic guitar. I could tell it was something special. Old wood, custom neck, extra-wide fret-board.  I picked it up. I could tell it hadn't been played in long time. I tuned it up and strummed.

Took my breath away.  I own two nice acoustic guitars, and I realized that this was a completely different kind of instrument. Mellow, powerful, rich, complex.  Old wood. Old spruce.  That kind of wood no longer exists.  Anywhere on the planet. Anyway, I found out the background on that guitar, it's one of a kind. And my neighbor ain't giving it up.

So I had a day or two of coveting. And then well, I have to forget it. I put it back in it's case and put it out of my mind. I just had to block out the whole episode.  I went back to my guitars and convinced myself that they sounded just fine. They were perfect for my uses. I actually need a cheap guitar, I do. It's better for me. I convinced myself. Sort of...I mean, hell coveting is bad for you, right? I'm fine. Really. Guitar, what guitar?