Currently Reading : Irresistible Revolution by Shane Claiborne

Oh man, I love adrenaline. The fuel you get when you are all pumped up.

So my friend had her guitar stolen a couple months ago. She's been trying to get it back from the guy, as we know who has it, for months and was refusing its return. I was walking downtown the other day and I run into the guy playing her guitar. I boldly walk up to him and say "Hi Matt, I'm Nicole, Tasha's friend, ya that's her guitar and I'm going to take it back now." After a lot of profanity and being called every name in the book he said he wasn't going to give me the guitar because I could go break it or something and then it would be on his shoulders. He then wanted to talk to Tasha to "make sure it was okay with her that he returned her guitar". He said "oh cant get a hold of her, I said no, but I can get a hold of the cops". That's when he walked off telling me to burn in hell.

So at this point I'm all pumped up to find this guy and get her guitar back. Another reason I was so passionate about this, was that Tasha uses her guitar to worship. It is her connecting point with the Lord, and he was denying her that access.

So he's out of sight. Lives out of the city, so I figure he has gone off and I wont see him anytime soon. So I get a hold of Tasha at work and explain whats going on, she tells me to call the cops. Oh by the way I hadn't called the cops yet, partly because with all the adrenaline in me, I wanted to be the hero or something. I end up calling the cops and they tell me they cant do anything anyways because its not my guitar.

Let me go on a well grounded tangent here. This has showed me once again why community is so vital. If we live as if we share everything we have, then Tasha guitar suddenly becomes my guitar and now the authorities can get involved. Without that, the world sees it as hers not mine - and therefore why even bother to try and get it back? Life is so much easier in community.

Back to the story.
After that, I go into the mall where I originally saw this Matt guy and I tell mall security that there was a guy in here playing a stolen guitar and if there was anything they can do. Again I was shot down. So I go to the liquor store (yes there is a liquor store inside the mall - I do oppose this) and say there was a guy playing a stolen guitar in front of the store. They were nice, they took my name and number and said they would call me if they saw him again.

So, I'm out of everything. Cant call anyone else. Can't notify any one else. Blast, I was so sad/mad. He was right there and I couldn't do anything. So I was walking down Yates Street, when so clearly the Lord spoke and I stopped in my tracks and turned around to go up Douglas. There walking towards me was none other then Matt and the guitar. (For the record, if you are trying to get away with stealing, one might want to flee the area one has previously been caught in - you don't stay around!)

"Gigs up Matt" I say "Give me the guitar". Again a bit more yelling and more choice words spoken. He then tells me to call the cops, cuz hes not giving me the guitar. A random tourist hands me her phone to do so - this only angers him more. As I got out my own phone he changed his mind and said let me talk to Tasha. I dial her number and pass the phone to him, as shes telling him to give me the guitar, my punk rocker friend Michelle and her punk rock buddies come up and say "Hey Nicole". I tell them that this guy has Tasha's guitar and he wont give it back. This only added points for the victory.

He made a deal that he would walk her guitar to Tasha at work as long as I didn't walk with him. As if. I'm smarter then that. I told him he had three choices. He could give the guitar to me and I would take it to Tasha. We could walk to Tasha work together and he would give it to her. Or I could call the cops and he could give it to them.

I ended up getting the guitar.
It was so fun!

Oh, and I was caller nine on some radio station and I get to be a tourist in my own town this weekend with three friends. Should be fun.

God is here.