When It Rains...

This has been a rough week-and-a-half. It started off with that bizarre shoulder injury that sidelined me for about 5 days, 3 of which I was bed-ridden and pretty much useless. Since I missed so much work, it was nuts trying to catch up, especially still being on those crazy meds that made it so difficult to concentrate.

On Thursday night, I was in the process of putting together a quick band rehearsal to learn a new song I wrote for the LTA show next week. Rehearsal was to take place in the vacant rental house next door, so as to take advantage of the air conditioning (it was extremly hot here last week). When I opened the front door and turned on the air, I noticed that the back window was busted. My son was playing in the back yard (without permission), so I assumed that maybe he and his friends had shattered it playing ball or something. He vehemently denied breaking the window. I assured him I believed him.

At about the same time, a realtor arrived to show the house to some prospective buyers. I let them in, explaining that I had just noticed a broken window and that they should disregard it and some musical equipment in the front room. I had been using this space to cut a demo of the new song during the 2-3 weeks preceding the rehearsal. Then I noticed...almost all the equipment was gone! For a few seconds, I racked my brain trying to remember when I had removed the gear. But a few moments later I got that sick feeling in the pit of my stomach as I realized...we had been burglarized. The theifs got away with about $10,000 worth of gear, including equipment that belonged to Wade and Dean (former bassist for LTA). Here's a round-up of what was lost.

• Electronic drum kit and kick pedals (Wade's)
• Gaillean Krueger bass amp (Dean's)
• 4 x 10 Hartke bass cabinet (Dean's)
• "Magic" guitar amp (my new boutique amp that was amazing)
• 1967 Fender Jazzmaster electric guitar w/early 50s tweed case
• Tom Anderson Cobra electric guitar w/hard case
• Foot pedal board with 10-12 guitar pedals and guitar cables
• SM-57 microphone with mic stand and cable.

The burglars must have gotten scared off because two more amps were left by the sliding glass door, which apparently was their escape route. I'm so thankful they weren't able to get away with my 1963 Fender Deluxe. They also left my little ol' Gretsch amp, my bass guitar, gig bag, and an empty 12-space rack.

I felt horrible calling Wade and Dean to tell them the bad news. Rehearsal was ruined, too, which sucks because Darren subsequently had to fly out to Texas on business and won't be able to learn the new song in time for the gig. Unfortunately, we do not have personal property insurance coverage on the house because it's a rental and we never intended to have personal property in there. So, basically, it's a total loss. I am determined to replace Wade and Dean's equipment at some point in the near future, but don't have a spare $2,500 laying around at the moment.

To top it off, I couldn't seem to get any good combination of cards dealt to me in last night's poker game and I lost some dough. At least that was fun, though.

I hope this post doesn't sound pouty. I'm upset, naturally. My bad feelings are compounded because of the fear the burglary instilled in my kids. Things are pretty simple for young kids. There's an order to their world--it's when they learn right from wrong (in healthy families, anyway). So, when you're young, you don't conceive of such things happening, especially to your parents. And yet it did. Now, the little ones are scared it could happen at our home. It has shaken their feeling of security. It makes me sad and angry because I love this season in their lives when they're young and innocent. That innocence has taken some blows this year. But, unfortunately, that's part of growing older--becoming aware that the world is not an idyllic place.

People get robbed everyday and I know from this, and other experiences, that it is a painful, personal assault. I mean, somebody actually broke into my house to steal stuff. It sucks more because the things they took were very dear to me. Having said that, I don't harbor a burning anger. I really don't. I'm grounded in the fact that my life is not defined by that which I own, but by He who owns me. This event is just another chapter in the story of my life--one that I hope will make me better somehow.

I believe in divine justice, whether you call it karma or sowing/reaping, or whatever. I do pray that those who stole my stuff face justice. But, I also pray for their redemption, believing that God can affect change in their hearts. In the meantime, I'll save my pennies for some new gear.