Things In My Guitar Case - Austin Texas, May 31, 2025

March 31, 2025 Gate 27 - Austin airport - 3:30 pm

While going through security an hour ago, a guy told me to take everything out of my guitar case except for the guitar. I've never been asked that question before in all of my travels. He was training a new employee. Usually the only thing taken out of my guitar case while going through security is the guitar; something about the electronic pick-up alerts the metal detector and I have to wait while they swab the guitar for explosives. While doing what security asked, I took a look at the things I've been carrying around in my guitar case for years; things I’ve never taken out of my case - things that were suddenly sitting in one of those beat-up old grey tubs that go through X-ray machines while they swabbed my guitar. The contents in my guitar case (other than the guitar and strap) include a list of songs with a few scratch titles from maybe 2012 or 2013, a note from Owen, artwork given to me in Spain, artwork given to me in Sweden, concert tickets from China, spare tuning gears in the event that one breaks (It happened once in Japan not long before a three-and-a-half-hour show. I used plyers to tune the D-string throughout the show), spare strings, a capo, a clip-on tuner, and a note that says 'Hey Dude Good Show.' Until today, I’ve never taken any of the items out of the case other than the capo and tuner except for a string every now and then. I’ve left the other things in there, all of this time, as I have good associations with them. Good nostalgia.

Earlier today I had lunch at Terry Black's with an old friend. We got caught up. It's been years. When we were done eating our baby-back ribs and brisket, an employee at Terry Black's gave me a tour of the back/outside, showing me how it's done. I smell like brisket. I might go buy an Austin Texas T-shirt and change my shirt in the men’s room to be mindful of the passengers next to me.