With the right gear

Depending on which one you consume, you may get very different results. (Mushrooms of America, edible and poisonous, 1885)

Many a guitarist has been spellbound by U2’s 1984 tribute to Martin Luther King, Jr., “Pride (In The Name Of Love).

And many a guitarist has wanted to throw their instrument at the wall in frustration after trying to replicate the song’s signature delay-soaked, strummy sixteenth-note riff, as played by U2’s guitarist, the Edge.

Basically, there’s no way you can do it unless you have a board full of effects pedals, plus an electric guitar and amp of sufficient quality. With the right gear, you have a chance at success; without them, you will not.

What’s tragic is when people blame themselves for not measuring up when they were lacking the proper equipment; in fact, they may not even have been aware that they didn’t have what was necessary.

I used to see this all the time when I taught music lessons. Kids would be playing on what music educators call ISOs (Instrument-Shaped Objects): a ukulele that with bad intonation, a guitar with action so high that you could barely press the strings down, or an electronic keyboard with keys half the size of a piano’s. The promise goes like this: “If you stick with it, you’ll get a new guitar/violin/trumpet for Christmas/your birthday/your bar mitzvah.”

The problem is that if the instrument is not easily playable, the student will never stick with it. They’re not getting enough return on investment for the effort they’re putting in, so they’ll never get to the threshold at which they’ll earned the upgrade. It’s too steep an incline for them to scrabble their way up.

However, to go even further, your inspiration is the Edge, not even a $3,000 acoustic guitar will be suitable, really. You need the appropriate tools for the job.

I’ve spent a lot of my life overlooking some of these basics. I thought that I needed to get better and try harder. I thought I needed to buck up and push through discomfort. I’ve become happier and more successful as the things I was missing have become visible to me.

For example, when I moved back to Maine after spending years in the South, I was wary of the cold. I harbored childhood memories of wet, frozen feet. I decided to buy a pair of waterproof, sheepskin-lined winter boots with a temperature rating -32˚C. My life was forever changed as a result. I was able to go on winter hikes through the snow, staying outdoors for hours without any numbness in my toes.

Obtaining the right gear doesn’t always require a splurge, though. When my middle schoolers try to write longhand with a blunt pencil, I cringe. To take notes, they need a pen and a slightly cushioned writing surface (for instance, a stack of paper or a notebook as opposed to a single sheet of paper). The paper should be lined as well. Meanwhile, if they are doing math, they need a sharp pencil tip—and a pencil that hasn’t been sharpened down to two inches. Ideally, some graph paper as well, and a ruler. Pens and pencils cost about the same—so do lined paper, copier paper, and graph paper—but they are suited to different purposes. It really helps to use each type of item for its designated purpose.

Even when the solution to my problem is not readily accessible, I’m glad to know what the solution is. It’s comforting to know that celebrities have professionals to help them pick out their clothing and accessories and do their hair and makeup. I’ve seen the giant size X crochet hooks and thick, chunky yarn that can be used to make a blanket in just a few hours. I understand that if I want to prevent my tomatoes from sprawling the way they did this year, I’ll have to invest in cages, not just stakes. I don’t have to wonder why someone else’s sailboat is so much faster—I can point to sail area and the weight of the hull.

If I’m lacking the right gear, I probably won’t achieve the same results as someone properly equipped. I can do the best I can with the resources I have and keep a sense of perspective about it. And when an opportunity arises to upgrade or change, I will be able to make an informed choice. Either way, there’s nothing wrong with me. I can focus on doing the work to which my tools are best suited and lay the groundwork for what’s next. After all, even with the right gear, I’ll need the right skills and knowledge to make them work. That matters just as much.