The Horse almost arrested on gluttony and hedonism charges
By The Horse
@TheHorse (205696)
Walnut Creek, California
October 19, 2016 10:28pm CST
I admit it. I deserved to be harassed by the police today. It occurred in the "elite" (Martin, Taylor, Gibson) guitar room of Guitar Center Concord CA at about 5:45 PM.
I had stopped at Stevie Coyle's guitar store, called Might Fine Guitars, and played a $4000 Kevin Corcoran 00-style guitar, earlier in the day, after working with my Berkeley preschool kids in the morning. I've earned it, I rationalized.
Then, I went to visit my afternoon kid client. He wanted to go to car dealerships to look at Ford F-150 trucks, and then go to Guitar Center to play guitars.
At Guitar Center (after checking our several F-150s and Mustangs), I showed him the first few notes of St. Stephen, a Grateful Dead song he and I have listened to over and over. He got the notes right, and asked me if I could buy him a guitar. I explained that that was more of a "parent thing," perhaps at Christmas.
It was then that the police burst into the room and said, Mr. Horse, I notice that you're playing a modern Martin D-18, a guitar you're considering purchasing as a "bluegrass cannon." We saw you at Mr. Coyle's guitar shop earlier, testing out expensive guitars. It would appear that you're mixing work and play.
I hung my head and admitted that that's exactly what I was doing. To make matters worse, they told me there was a racial component to potential charges against me, as the kid I was "jamming" with is African-American. This could be a hate crime, they told me.
I believe I can beat the gluttony charges, as we didn't make to our gas station today to buy our ritual Gatorade and Tigers Milk Energy Bars. But hedonism? I was test driving a Martin D-18 when they burst in. And I was turning this kid onto my first love, which is music. He sings on key, loves music, turns my radio to classical and jazz when we're driving, and picked up the first few notes to St. Stephen within fifteen minutes. I think they've got me on the hedonism charges should they decide to arrest me. I'm not sure about the hate crime charges.
I'm going to have to be more careful.
Hey Dead Heads! Here is a fantastic live version of St. Stephen recorded live on February 27, 1969 at Fillmore West. Enjoy!
18 people like this
15 responses
@Jessicalynnt (50525)
• Centralia, Missouri
20 Oct 16
I hope...that a guitar is something his parents can and will manage for him. I will send that thought on to santa
4 people like this
@Jessicalynnt (50525)
• Centralia, Missouri
20 Oct 16
@TheHorse deff, even a used one, actually a used one would be even better. more character, and cheaper
2 people like this
@TheHorse (205696)
• Walnut Creek, California
20 Oct 16
@Jessicalynnt Yep, I'll have my eyes open. It has to sound "in tune," though. Else, he'll lose interest.
2 people like this
@JamesHxstatic (29242)
• Eugene, Oregon
20 Oct 16
Not again! You seem to be incorrigible, Mr. @theHorse. How long do you expect to get away with this behavior? I am sure the young man appreciates your guitar gluttony (about which I confess to envying you).
3 people like this
@TheHorse (205696)
• Walnut Creek, California
20 Oct 16
I'd like to work with the family on getting the young man a guitar, but they haven't been very supportive of his interests, which seem to be music and drawing (and hiking, and animals). He has ADHD, and gets in trouble for drawing in class. Rather than get him into art and music classes, his mother throws out his drawingas as punishment. I'm going to talk to my supervisor about getting his mom some services around parenting. We're "strength-based" and she's "punishment-based."
2 people like this
@JamesHxstatic (29242)
• Eugene, Oregon
20 Oct 16
@TheHorse She certainly has a wrongheaded approach to helping him. She does need help.
2 people like this
@TheHorse (205696)
• Walnut Creek, California
20 Oct 16
@JamesHxstatic We'll see what happens. I have to plan my criminal activities for later in the day. Right now I'm just doing progress notes, which is kind of boring. Maybe that's what makes me so incorrigible! I'll blame it on progress notes.
2 people like this
@TheHorse (205696)
• Walnut Creek, California
20 Oct 16
I was having too much fun. And I WAS "double dipping," test driving a Martin D-18 while on the job. In court, I'll argue that I would have done the same thing had he been white or Latino. In all seriousness, his family is frustrating me because they don't really support his love of music.
1 person likes this
@Jeanniemaries (8237)
• United States
20 Oct 16
It sounds like quite a day. I'm sure the Concord Police are watching you closely now.
1 person likes this
@TheHorse (205696)
• Walnut Creek, California
21 Oct 16
@Jeanniemaries I wonder if there are places I can plant stuff at the "pen."
1 person likes this
@Jeanniemaries (8237)
• United States
21 Oct 16
@TheHorse They have your number now.
1 person likes this
@TheHorse (205696)
• Walnut Creek, California
20 Oct 16
Yeah, I'm mostly kidding around. But I really did play a $4000 Corcoran guitar at Stevie's shop, and then a $2000 Martin D-18 with a kid in tow at Guitar Center. Here's Stevie singing a favorite song of his. He really is one heck of a good musician.
The Waybacks performing "Compadres and the Old Sierra Madres" for WGWG's Words and Music special Backstage Pass concert show at Gardner-Webb University; Marc...
@vandana7 (98823)
• India
20 Oct 16
I can only say the guitar playing was AWESOME..beautiful thanks Pony for introducing me to good music at your end..am very grateful. As to your narrowly missing arrest...the policemen should read law books more thoroughly ...I am sure there were some other sections that would been perfect for the situation and you would not have got away so easily.
1 person likes this
@RasmaSandra (73408)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
20 Oct 16
Hope the guitar becomes a reality.
1 person likes this
@Rohvannyn (3098)
• United States
21 Oct 16
You'd better watch out there since it's obvious you're absolutely lacking in remorse! High likelihood of recidivism! (That kid sounds really cool.)
1 person likes this
@TheHorse (205696)
• Walnut Creek, California
20 Nov 16
I saw him yesterday. Yes, I'm lacking in remorse, which will undoubtedly lead to a longer sentence. I can already anticipate my next charge: "Unlawfully contributing to the delinquency of a minor by buying him a small flashlight so he can draw under the covers at night."
@JESSY3236 (18923)
• United States
20 Oct 16
Lol. Having no play could lead to The Shining.
1 person likes this
lol I know how you feel!!
