The Kind Leading the Blind


This is a follow-up on a posting from last night. Herewith, my brief story: I've been a member of Audiogon since 2003. About seven years earlier, I lost my sight to a genetic disease. I've been mostly hesitant to mention my disability in these forums -- even when it might have made sense to do so -- because I had some fear, I guess, of being put into a box, of being thought of as "the blind guy." Little did I know. When I couldn't install an internal phono bboard in a recently purchased integrated amp and had no idea of what to do next, I posted the truth: I'm blind, can't see what I am doing, and need some help. And what happened? The folks who posted were immediately and unimaginably kind and helpful, in a way I found truly touching. (Tell us where you live; one of us must be nearby and can come over to help.) I can see clearly now* that my worries about being pigeonholed were completely unfounded. Instead, folks in this community stepped up, as genuinely caring, kindhearted individuals.
Thank you. All of you. A stubborn, old, blind music-lover couldn't have asked for a better Christmas present.
(And by the way, I got a ride to a local shop this afternoon, where I had the board installed in a jiffy. And the tunes are sounding swell)

*The reference to the song here was intentional -- "I see, said the blind audiophile!" I was thinking of the version by Holly Cole.

-- Howard
hodu
Howard, you will find the audiophile community in general and the Audiogon crowd in particular much more concerned about our ears than our eyes. . . In fact, I have even attended the Rocky Mountain Audio Fest in Denver 3 times in a row. . . and had an absolute ball doing it every time. The show organizers even created an accessible electronic copy of the show guide. . . what more to ask? By the way, there are several of us blind and low vision audiophiles on Agon. . . I know of at least 5. Furthermore, one major audio store. -- Audio Nexus -- is owned by Ken Gould, who like you and I, can't see worth a darn.
Many, many thanks for this post, Howard. It has made my Christmas much merrier.

Curiously, I listened to the most musical (digital) system I had ever heard a week ago. It was assembled by a gentleman who has been steadily losing his vision throughout his life. I'm still astonished by the experience.

Happy listening and Merry Christmas to you!
May I add that my dealer in Minneapolis is also visually challenged? He's very knowledgeable and carries some great lines. Always enjoy my visits to Audio Perfection.