[NFB-Idaho] Do you remember these guys?

[President NFBIDAHO]

I've been going to read the book, so now I will. I hope Sandy got blindness  training somewhere.

-----Original Message-----
From: NFB-Idaho [mailto:nfb-idaho-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Colleen McFadden via NFB-Idaho
Sent: Saturday, August 27, 2022 12:31 PM
To: NFB of Idaho Discussion List
Cc: Colleen McFadden
Subject: [NFB-Idaho] Do you remember these guys?

Incredible Story . . . . . “Hello darkness, my old friend…” Everybody knows
the iconic Simon & Garfunkel song, but do you know the amazing story behind

the first line of The Sounds of Silence?

It began 62 years ago, when Arthur “Art” Garfunkel, a Jewish kid from
Queens, enrolled in Columbia University. During freshman orientation, Art
met a student

from Buffalo named Sandy Greenberg, and they immediately bonded over their
shared passion for literature and music. Art and Sandy became roommates and

best friends. With the idealism of youth, they promised to be there for
each other no matter what.

Soon after starting college, Sandy was struck by tragedy. His vision became
blurry and although doctors diagnosed it as temporary conjunctivitis, the
problem

grew worse. Finally after seeing a specialist, Sandy received the
devastating news that severe glaucoma was destroying his optic nerves. The
young man

with such a bright future would soon be completely blind.

Sandy was devastated and fell into a deep depression. He gave up his dream
of becoming a lawyer and moved back to Buffalo, where he worried about being

a burden to his financially-struggling family. Consumed with shame and
fear, Sandy cut off contact with his old friends, refusing to answer
letters or

return phone calls.

Then suddenly, to Sandy’s shock, his buddy Art showed up at the front door.
He was not going to allow his best friend to give up on life, so he bought

a ticket and flew up to Buffalo unannounced. Art convinced Sandy to give
college another go, and promised that he would be right by his side to make
sure

he didn’t fall - literally or figuratively.

Art kept his promise, faithfully escorting Sandy around campus and
effectively serving as his eyes. It was important to Art that even though
Sandy had

been plunged into a world of darkness, he should never feel alone. Art
actually started calling himself “Darkness” to demonstrate his empathy with
his

friend. He’d say things like, “Darkness is going to read to you now.” Art
organized his life around helping Sandy.

One day, Art was guiding Sandy through crowded Grand Central Station when
he suddenly said he had to go and left his friend alone and petrified. Sandy

stumbled, bumped into people, and fell, cutting a gash in his shin. After a
couple of hellish hours, Sandy finally got on the right subway train. After

exiting the station at 116th street, Sandy bumped into someone who quickly
apologized - and Sandy immediately recognized Art’s voice! Turned out his
trusty

friend had followed him the whole way home, making sure he was safe and
giving him the priceless gift of independence. Sandy later said, “That
moment was

the spark that caused me to live a completely different life, without fear,
without doubt. For that I am tremendously grateful to my friend.”

Sandy graduated from Columbia and then earned graduate degrees at Harvard
and Oxford. He married his high school sweetheart and became an extremely
successful

entrepreneur and philanthropist.

While at Oxford, Sandy got a call from Art. This time Art was the one who
needed help. He’d formed a folk rock duo with his high school pal Paul
Simon,

and they desperately needed $400 to record their first album. Sandy and his
wife Sue had literally $404 in their bank account, but without hesitation
Sandy

gave his old friend what he needed.

Art and Paul's first album was not a success, but one of the songs, The
Sounds of Silence, became a #1 hit a year later. The opening line echoed
the way

Sandy always greeted Art. Simon & Garfunkel went on to become one of the
most beloved musical acts in history.

The two Columbia graduates, each of whom has added so much to the world in
his own way, are still best friends. Art Garfunkel said that when he became

friends with Sandy, “my real life emerged. I became a better guy in my own
eyes, and began to see who I was - somebody who gives to a friend.” Sandy
describes

himself as “the luckiest man in the world.”

Adapted from Sandy Greenberg’s memoir: “Hello Darkness, My Old Friend: How
Daring Dreams and Unyielding Friendship Turned One Man’s Blindness into an
Extraordinary

Vision for Life."

May be an image of 1 person and standing
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