Community members help give the gift of music

Christmas came early for Robert James, 82, a resident at Thermopolis Rehabilitation and Wellness (TRW) with the gift of a guitar.

The idea started with his sister Donna Becker wanting to help James with his memory issues. Becker said, "I've always experienced that music is a wonderful tool for helping people with memory issues and because he is my brother, I know he used to play the guitar. So, I got this wild idea to find him a guitar. But I am in Texas and so I used the Thermopolis Our Hometown group site to put out a plea "I'm in search of a guitar for my brother. Message me for any details."

Becker received a message back from Tom Smith, who started looking for a guitar. Smith later found one at a yard sale and turned it over to a friend, John Brooks, to see if they could put it into working condition. Smith and Brooks are mutual friends and members of the Shriner's club. They told Becker that their efforts should be a donation.

Becker said, "The feel good thing for me is being clear down in Texas and unable to get to Thermopolis that a complete stranger and the guitar repairman would do something so kind for someone that they don't even know, just because of the Thermopolis ties." 

James is Becker's half-brother and they both grew up in Thermopolis. James' favorite style of music is country. Becker said with a smile, "He's a cowboy." James married Sharon Gossens and after he left the Army, he moved to Cody and worked for Marathon Oil. James lived in a rural home near Cody and raised horses, was a great fisherman, and loved camping. 

Later Becker and TRW Director of Nursing Robin Griffin made arrangements to bring the guitar to James when it was ready. In early December, the time came and Dava Bleak, the Social Service Director, presented James with the guitar. Griffin was a witness and said, "He was happy and talked about it for a few days. He was really surprised and had a big ole smile on his face." James told them he couldn't play anymore, but he did strum the guitar strings and held the instrument. Griffin said the guitar made him happy.

Shortly later, James contacted Becker via FaceTime. Becker said, "He was holding the guitar with the biggest grin on his face that I have ever seen. He doesn't quite remember how to play. I always knew that was a possibility, but he was thrilled to have it and he did attempt to play it for me. He seemed to really enjoy it."

Becker's thoughts about this are that she "feels great. It was just an idea from me, on my part. I feel like I had very little to do with it because someone else volunteered to find a guitar for me. Someone else volunteered to make it playable again. Again, all I had was the idea, but now it is my intent that the guitar be shared with any of the residents at TRW who want to play it. It makes me feel really good about the people of Thermopolis and how they support each other and help each other."