The Guitar Pick

by:Don Doran

I remember as a very young child, loving the fact that my Grandpa could play the guitar. They lived in a huge old house on Holt in Onterio, California, right next to a drive in movie show. We would go and visit them, whenever possible.

I remember that during this time they were having church in their home and often when we were visiting we would join them for church services. Grandpa would get out his guitar, a Kay model. Jesse and Jody both had black and white electric guitars which they would play and Betty would play the piano. We would have church.

One night while we were singing, I was sitting close to Grandpa, just a little behind and to the side, so I could watch him play. During the song he decided to do a little pickin' with his fingers, so he put his guitar pick in his mouth. He did this several different times, going back and forth, using the pick then his fingers. Suddenly he got a strange look on his face. He turned a little red, choked, gagged and spit. He had almost swallowed his guitar pick, it had actually lodged in the back of his mouth for a moment. He got tickled and began to laugh about it and we all had to stop for a few moments and enjoy the moment.