Personal Log: Rick Clogston

My house was robbed a couple of weeks ago. It's been an interesting experience, to say the least. The good things about it are: My family was not messed with. Also, nothing essential or important was taken. The bummer? They went into my music room and almost cleaned me out. Five guitars and two amplifiers.

It's been three weeks now, and the odds of getting my gear back in pristine condition lessen every day. The police have a pretty good idea of who the culprit is, and he/she/it/them is a suspect in a string of burglaries in the area. They need enough evidence to get a warrant, but they think they're gonna get them. My goal for that is that this person/people will learn a valuable lesson; don't steal. I'm not that revenge-oriented. I don't need to see their bleeding carcasses to find satisfaction.

My wife, Lynn, has been my rock through all this, of course. She knows how much playing music means to me, and how attached I get to my guitars. Granted, it's not like one of my children was on a plane that went down in the Himalayas, but it has been a little bumpy. We're to the point of accepting that it's time to report it to the insurance company and begin contemplating replacements.

My band, Project 93, performed last Saturday night. Oh, yeah, another thing I've found out is how many generous friends I have. I borrowed two guitars, a PA head and a guitar amp for the gig. The whole band was in pity-party-for-Rick mode, then we went on stage and tore the roof off the place. We finished up with a 10-minute jam on All Along The Watchtower, and I went Hendrix on 'em. There were reports of orgasms, but it was the Halloween party, so they might have been fake.

The great thing through all this is that I have been granted the grace not to get angry. We live in a very small New Hampshire town, where everybody leaves their doors unlocked and trusts each other. This little crime wave has made some people paranoid. We have grudgingly acknowledged the need to lock up at night and gotten on with our lives. We have also acknowledged the great blessings we have, and for that much the experience has been largely positive.

So, I'll probably get some of what the stuff was worth from the insurance company, and go guitar shopping, which is always fun. To be honest, my biggest worry is for the person who did the stealing. This cannot be a happy person. They must spend a lot of their time looking over their shoulder. I couldn't live like that. They will be caught, if not for this then for something. They will pay the price. And, their deep-rooted problem will probably go unchecked. I'm praying for them to find some resolution and some peace.

I'm a musician and a writer, and I'm in the happy business. To know that there's someone out there that unhappy makes me . . . C'mon, people, fill in the blank. No, not "aluminum." Aw, I knew you'd get it.

Actually, it does piss me off that I spent about $4000, and will be lucky to see half that. There. I said it. Whew. In the end, I will have another bunch of gear, and will continue to do what I do. No harm, no foul.

Which leads me to the question of the day; Have any of you out there in FF Blogland ever been robbed? What was/is your reaction to it? I've had the Genesis song, "Robbery, Assault, and Battery" running in my head a lot. I find it kind of laughable, but that's a bad habit of mine anyway. C'mon, what was your reaction to getting ripped off?

End transmission.