“The Fender Telecaster is an instrument of beautiful simplicity.” Jim Mauradian, luthier.

For you non-guitar geeks this may take a moment to explain. The electric guitar as we know it today, is a product of the 1950′s. Back in the stone ages of electric guitar making, it was an accepted practice to trick out the instrument with as many buttons, knobs and toggle switches as could be fit on a block of wood. And dang it if those guitars didn’t look sweet. Problem was, most of those guitars sounded like crap and because of the complex nature of the design, were in constant need of adjustment when not in a state of total ill-repair.

In response to this over complicating trend, a Luthier named Leo Fender set about to design and produce an electric guitar that was (1) simple to use, (2) durable, and (3) sounded great. Leo Fender’s genius was in stripping away all of the unnecessary crap, reducing the design to the barest essentials.

The product of his design was an electric guitar called the Fender Telecaster, which to this day is considered by many guitarists (myself included) to be the platinum standard of guitars. Go figure.

I wonder how it might look if we consistently applied Leo Fender’s approach to our own work and lives. Thoughts? Anyone want to put in a good word for complexity?

Photo by dixieroadrash

I believe New Years Day ought to be celebrated on the first day of spring.  It just doesn’t seem right to start a ‘new’ year in the dead of winter as we do.  In fact, prior to 1752 (more or less), most European countries (and their respective colonies) celebrated New Years Day on or about March 25^th rather than January 1^st.  Thus, until New Years Day was shifted to January 1^st, one went to bed on March 24^th in one year and awoke the next day on March 25^th in the next year.  Pretty crazy, eh?

That the New Year used to be marked on March 25^th makes total sense for a number of reasons, most obviously because the spring is the beginning of the planting season.  It is a time to sow the fields and start again.

Well, most folks in our society today aren’t farmers or toilers on the land and so we have understandably become removed from this bit of our shared history.  Still, there is something about the first day of spring that tugs at me on a cellular level.  It says, “JOY”.  It says, “Get out there, man.  Begin again. Plant your fields.  Take a risk.”

The following passage from “Shambhala:  The Sacred Path of the Warrior” was first shared with me by IISC‘s Executive Director, Marianne Hughes.  I find it more and more relevant with every passing day:

“The way of cowardice is to embed ourselves in a cocoon, in which we perpetuate our habitual patterns.  When we are constantly recreating our basic patterns of behavior and thought, we never have to leap into fresh air or onto fresh ground.”

I sometimes wonder if I am up to the challenge of following this wisdom.  But today, on the cusp of the vernal equinox, my New Year, I’m ready to give it a try.  How about you?