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| Photo Courtesy of the NEA |
I recently received a gift. Not the kind you unwrap. Not the kind given by God, as in, a talent. Even still, it meant a lot to me. One evening, on a whim, I decided to look up the name “Fahlbusch” on YouTube. Much to my surprise, I begin to watch a video of my grandfather, Albert Fahlbusch, playing the hammered dulcimer. The year was 1981. He was 56.
I’ve done internet searches on my grandfather before. He had received the National Endowment of the Arts National Heritage Fellowship Award in 1984. He was renowned in our part of the country and was known as “The Dulcimer Man.” However, this had caught me off guard. This was the first time I had seen actual footage of him playing. This particular video was from the 1981 Dulcimer Expo in Clarkston, MI. It had only been uploaded 9 months prior by a man name Paul Goelz from Rochester Hills, MI.
I had a new mission; to find Mr. Goelz. I did a quick search on YouTube and discovered he had a website. I then sent him an e-mail describing how the video he uploaded was of my grandfather. Through the course of events, we were able to communicate through e-mail. I think he was just as excited as I was in that he was happy to know that some of his work had been found by family and he was more than eager to share. He then advised that he had a surprise...more video, this time from a wedding here in Scottsbluff. It had been shot on VHS broadcast equipment at the VFW in 1984. He volunteered to convert all of this to DVD and make copies for me! I advised that I would like to make arrangements to cover all of his expenses and he told me that no arrangements were necessary. He was glad that they were “coming home.” Another gift.
There was another reason that the finding of this video was so special. You see, I was the recipient of an earlier gift, several years ago. My grandfather passed away in 2005. At the time, my grandmother asked me which dulcimer I would like to have. I’m the oldest grandchild. However, I knew that there were only three and they had three children. In the midst of the trauma, she had not realized this. I knew she wanted to bless me with such an incredible gift but it would not have been rightfully mine.
A year or two later, I got a call from her. She wanted me to come over right away. I heard a story. A story about a time when my grandfather had traveled to California for an event where he played. A woman approached him and wanted to buy his dulcimer. He politely declined but told her that he would make her one. She would have nothing of that and persisted in purchasing the one that he had. The problem for him was, this particular dulcimer that he had with him was his favorite and he had no intentions of selling it. I guess she wore him down and he sold it to her. But, that’s not the end of story. She ended up with cancer and didn’t have much time left. One of her desires was to ensure that grandpa’s dulcimer returned to the family. Through the course of events, she sold it to my grandmother for $1.00 who in turn gave it to me.
There was another reason that the finding of this video was so special. You see, I was the recipient of an earlier gift, several years ago. My grandfather passed away in 2005. At the time, my grandmother asked me which dulcimer I would like to have. I’m the oldest grandchild. However, I knew that there were only three and they had three children. In the midst of the trauma, she had not realized this. I knew she wanted to bless me with such an incredible gift but it would not have been rightfully mine.
A year or two later, I got a call from her. She wanted me to come over right away. I heard a story. A story about a time when my grandfather had traveled to California for an event where he played. A woman approached him and wanted to buy his dulcimer. He politely declined but told her that he would make her one. She would have nothing of that and persisted in purchasing the one that he had. The problem for him was, this particular dulcimer that he had with him was his favorite and he had no intentions of selling it. I guess she wore him down and he sold it to her. But, that’s not the end of story. She ended up with cancer and didn’t have much time left. One of her desires was to ensure that grandpa’s dulcimer returned to the family. Through the course of events, she sold it to my grandmother for $1.00 who in turn gave it to me.
The dulcimer he’s playing in the video? Yeah, that would be the one.
My grandfather came to faith much later in life. I wondered at times how strong his faith was. After he died, we found a journal of sorts. Most of the days simply said this; “Read a little Bible....Played a little dulcimer.” “Read a little Bible....Played a little dulcimer.”
I’ve come to understand just how much I learned from him. Hard work, dedication, commitment, passion and faith, just to name a few. In the end, there was no denying what his passions were. Faith, music and family.
These gifts have meant so much to me and yet there’s an even greater gift. The gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ. I need to be constantly reminded of this, as do you. It’s easy to get excited and emotional with the gifts of the world, even ones as personal as the one I’ve shared. But, in the end, none of them can come close to comparing to the gift of God’s Son. I need to be responsible with sharing that gift with others as it’s the most important gift one can receive.
In the end, what will be written in your journal when your time draws to a close?
“Read a little Bible....Played a little dulcimer.”
