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Colin Symonds, "Inspired by Stan Thomison"

Hi fellows. Above is a link to a thread on some charity guitars. Colin and many others have truly been inspired by one of our own, Stan Thomison. Stan undertook building a guitar for a young boy who's dad is serving in Iraq.

As the work progressed, Murphy's Law presented at every turn. Stan lovingly referred to it as the "guitar from hell". Then some personal issues in Stan's life required that effort be placed on the back burner. As you know he recently lost his Dad, moved to Maine to work with Bourgeois, and now is helping our ASIA organization and Bill Moll.

I contacted Stan and asked his permission to get involved and help him get Aaron's guitar back underway. At the same time, I see the Charity Guitar experiencing ups and downs as well. Murphy at work, on steroids. Optimists see the glass half full. So, this message is directed at those luthiers who also see the half full glass. Every obstacle, is an opportunity.

After contacting a number of those involved with the charity guitar, I got some positive responses to making the benefactor, this young man in Arkansas, who gave up his Dad to the war effort in Iraq. I can imagine the loneliness this young 12, now 13 year old, as he lay in bed each night. Especially after having watched the evening news.

So, as the Charity Build considers a benefactor, would you please consider helping Stan and I make Aaron's guitar a reality? It wouldn't be an auction, it wouldn't help children in a hospital or research. It would simply fulfill a promise made to a young man. He's a good kid, a guitar for him would honor his father's service to our country in a real way. That was the original intention. I pleaded with Stan to accept our help and he opened his arms to the idea, and the thought some of his OLF friends would assist him in making this dream a reality.

So, if the group can please consider this request at least, I'd appreciate it, from the bottom of my heart. I'm sure Stan would too. Please read Colin's impression of Stan's original desire to do someone good. I loved it.

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http://www.dickeyguitars.com

Bruce, Just to update you. Six guitars have now gone to "good causes", mostly to PHAB a group for physically handicapped people. I only build for a hobby so it's easy for me to give a guitar away, but for all of you out there with that spare one in the case that never gets used, there are many deserving people out there. Direct action is so much more satisfying than putting a pound in the tin.

None of this would have happened without Stan's wonderful example. He's truly inpirational.

Colin

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I don't believe in anything, I simply make use of a set of reasonable working hypotheses.