Bob Jackson
I got the electric guitar this week — a dark blue and white Fender Squier Stratocaster. We brought it home and plugged it in and took turns rocking out for an hour.
And then it was time to name it.
All of my suggestions were rejected including Peebles St. Ives (the ChickieNob informed me that “Penis St. Eye” is a terrible name) and Harvey Sweatmachine. Suddenly, the best name occurred to me — Bob Jackson — and once I said it, everyone in the room agreed that it was the perfect name for the guitar. Since then, we have only called the guitar Bob Jackson (as in, “where did you put Bob Jackson?” or “Can I play Bob Jackson?”).
The ChickieNob at first didn’t want me to share where the name comes from, but she has since changed her mind and said, “feel free to share this with the Internets.”
A week or so ago, we were watching Free to Be You and Me and the ChickieNob said to me, “when did Bob Dylan die?”
Me: He didn’t. He’s alive. He just celebrated his birthday.
ChickieNob: No, Mommy, he’s dead.
Me: Did he die today? (I had been offline most of the day and it was possible that he had died without me knowing).
ChickieNob: No, it was a while back.
Me: Then he’s definitely still alive. He’s probably touring this summer.
ChickieNob: Mommy, you just have to accept it and stop pretending. Bob Dylan is dead.
Me: I’m not pretending! I promise you that Bob Dylan is very much alive.
ChickieNob: Then why did he die when he took all of that bad medicine?
Wolvog: (slowly tearing his eyes from the screen) Are you talking about Michael Jackson?
ChickieNob: (thinking for a moment) Yes, I believe I am. Is there a difference between Bob Dylan and Michael Jackson?
Me: Yes, there is an enormous difference!
Wolvog: Like one of them is alive and the other one is dead.
ChickieNob: Then let’s switch the question. When did Michael Jackson die?
Hence how our guitar got its moniker.
18 comments
Wow. That is amazing. These are the kinds of conversations I can’t wait to have with my kids. Thank you for sharing that and congrats on your Bob Jackson guitar! It looks like a beaut!
And Congrats on Life From Scratch’s climb up the Kindle list! I knew it would.
You know what I love about this story? I was at your house the night Michael Jackson died.
Congratulations! I thought of you & guitars today. Check out the Google homepage. Apparently it’s in honour of Les Paul’s birthday. : )
My son was born the day Michael Jackson died. June 25th, 2009. I had not idea until 11pm that night when our family came to see us in the hospital.
I live in Minnesota. Bob Dylan is from Minnesota. I’ve been to his home town.
Lame coincidences. I know.
I think Bob Jackson is a great name for a quitar. And what a beauty it is!
Love the name and love the story behind it even more.
Oh gawd I’m laughing my a$$ off!!! Too funny! Love it!!!!
ROFL! That is priceless. Kudos to the ChickieNob and the Wolvog for that humour. 🙂 Nice axe, too. Ooh, that blue. 🙂
That is a great story.
Love.
Also, have you seen today’s google doodle?
I love that story! And I recognize conversations that I’ve had with my daughter in it…
Hope you and your family have many happy years with Bob Jackson!
Bwaaa haa haaa! I love it!!! I had a friend that considered Bob the perfect name for everything…even God, whose name was Bob.
What a beautiful color for a guitar! I would say it is a little feminine to be called Bob, but that’s just me 😉
To piggyback on Julie’s comment, Michael Jackson died the day after I first met you in person.
If I were you I would totally learn to play the OutKast song Ms. Jackson and change Ms. to Bob.
I love the story of how Bob Jackson got his name! And he looks GORGEOUS!
Bob Jackson – I love it!
Your children are so freaking fantastic.
I will never again hear BD or MJ on the radio without thinking of you, your kids and your guitar.
That is one gorgeous looking Bob Jackson!
@Searching for Serenity: My mom is from NW Minnesota, & is the same age as Dylan. She was at nursing school in Minneapolis 1959-60, when he was playing at coffeehouses in “Dinkytown.” She has talked about Dinkytown & it kind of freaks me out to think their paths might have crossed at some point there. Although she was much more into Frank Sinatra & the Platters back then. ; )
Bravo, Bob Jackson!