Friday, August 22, 2008

Selling My Drumkit

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sitting in my basement studio to the left

i knew this day would eventually come, but i’m dreading it.  i just spent the last few hours taking photos of my drumkit, researching its specifications, and typing everything down… all in preparation to sell it.  really, it’s not a big deal because i’ll still be playing drums, just using calvin’s chapel drumkit and practicing there instead of at home.  i can also buy another drumkit in the future, probably even a better one that will make me forget this one.  but for some strange reason, i don’t want to sell it.  i’ve spent three years with it, and we’ve gone a long way together.  i have great memories setting it up in my dorm room on 3rd beets, playing almost every day during loud hours, taking it to occasional shows, and teaching lessons with it.  how can i become so attached to an inanimate piece of wood?

i have a friend that feels the same way about guitars.  he told me one night that he’d like to fall asleep on his bed with his guitar, like a child sleeps with stuffed animals.  then he proceeded to poetically describe how guitars are constant and loyal, unlike people.  he loves his guitars like he would love a friend.

at the time, i thought that was a little odd, but in the back of my mind i understood.  now i’m experiencing something similar.  but i don’t think it’s right.  the danger of being too attached to material possession is a reality.  i feel like i could easily become a pack rat if i didn’t watch myself. 

i have a friend who called himself a pack rat, and he took drastic measures for change.  he literally sold or gave everything away and remained with two suitcases.  there was extra incentive for this selling spree; he had just become the drummer for a touring rock band and he couldn’t afford to lug his stuff across canada.  the next time i saw him, he was just down to a backpack.  i asked him how he felt.  he looked at me, smiled, and said he’d never been freer in his life.  he doesn’t have to worry about his stuff, and he can spend his shopping and research time in ways that really matter - by spending his time with friends.

my friend’s story reminds me of that scripture passage where Jesus invites the rich man to sell everything he had and give it away to the poor.  if material wealth was preventing him from reaching his full potential as Christ’s disciple, then he truly needed to get rid of his possessions.  i’ve heard pastors soften that passage before, saying things like, “but really, Jesus didn’t mean for all of us to sell everything we have.  that would be utterly ridiculous.”  but what about those in the audience who are addicted to stuff, the ones whose closets look like a new york subway during rush hour, and whose curbs are constantly lined with salvation army donation bags filled with old clothes to make way for the latest ralph lauren clothing line.

when i lived in hong kong, some of my high school friends chased after the latest cell phones.  i went to a private school, so most of the kids were pretty well off.  every month, they would come to school flaunting the latest cell phone.  the phones i saw then are just coming out in america.  i don’t blame them, their parents did the exact same thing.  is that a lesson i want to teach my kids?  will i say, “son, it’s important to have the latest cell phone model.”  or worse yet, will i say, “we need to support an orphan in india, and we’re gonna be sending $20 a month to a charity.  this is what Jesus wants us to do.  a picture of the kid is on our fridge, have a look,” then shortly after i say that, i return to my online shopping, researching the latest Google Android or iPhone developments and plotting of ways to switch phones without incurring a loss.  actions speak louder than words, and my son will see right through that.  sometimes these hard-hitting passages don’t need to be softened.  after all, isn’t the fact that the passage is being softened proof that it’s hitting a little too close to home?  that makes me feel uncomfortable, so i’m going to defend myself against it and soften its blow a bit.

Posted by Nehe555 on 08/22 at 09:36 AM
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