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A Big Thank you, to Albert Porter...from My Mother

I am one of many boomers who are facing the declining health of their parent(s), and it is a difficult event to face in many ways. My mother divorced my father when I was a baby, and never remarried. Intimate details but ones that are crucial to her story.

She has lived in the same home in a small suburb of a thriving metropolis area since 1965. In March, she experienced a health event that forever changed her life. No health professional would sign off on her return to live on her own going forward. My Mother insisted she knew her health best and was determined to return to the childhood home where she raised my brother and I from ages 14 and 9 respectively. Unfortunately, my brother was forced to invoke the POA, which would not allow her to do so and made it essential that she move into an assisted living facility. I was fortunate to be able to find her a nice Assisted Living Facility, about 10 miles from my home, and 5 miles from her original residence.

What does this have to do with Albert Porter? I recently had the privilege of cleaning out our mother's home of 43 years of memories, love, and treasures. One of those was her treasured stereo system, which she quit using approximately 8 years ago: A Yamaha Natural Sound Stereo Receiver CR-420; Dual Turntable (Model 1237); Yamaha Loudspeakers (Model NS5); and original Discwasher. These were purchased new from Arnold & Morgan's Sales Manager Albert Porter & a salesman I was dating at the time, John Fort. Albert & John cut my mom quite a deal because she was living on limited hourly wages from Texas Instruments. I will always be grateful to their generosity and assistance in helping this transaction become a reality for my mother in late 1977. She wanted this stereo so much, and it was a memorable day for the two of us when she purchased it (I was a witness and will always treasure this day that we shared together).

Albert, my Mom gave me this wonderful stereo system this past weekend. It never moved once setup in her home in 1977. It is pristine. In fact, the receiver still had the "Reserved for Yamaha Orthodynamic Headphones" plug in the headphone inputs. She said, "Please tell Mr. Porter and Mr. Fort how much this stereo meant to me." Yes, Albert and John...she remembered your names. That is the type of woman she is.

I want to thank you, Albert, for making this dream come true for her. Unfortunately, it will not fit in her apartment at the AFL where she now is a resident. But, it will live on in my household and only be handed down to someone in our family who is willing to honor its "true" value.

Not only did she give me this wonderful stereo system, but she gave me her precious LPs. So, I am going to go spin a few LPs in my Mother's honor, but also in honor of the wonderful dealers who exist in our midst, such as Albert Porter and John Fort.

Next up: Sam Cooke's "Twistin' the Night Away"

Thank you, Albert and John. And, thank you, Mom for passing along your love of music. I consider it a privilege to have the honor of caring for you. And, I love you. We are going to make the most of the years ahead!!!

--mcrheist--
mcrheist

Showing 2 responses by mcrheist

mcrheist OP
130 posts
 
Albert -- thank you for your kind comments. I do not remember John Kreis but a picture might juggle the memory. I do remember that you and John called me one day to tell me that some of the Rolling Stones were in the shop. The accelerator on my Ford Pinto was pinned to the floor all the way from Dallas to Garland, but I missed them by just a few minutes!!! I can still smell their overindulgence in cheap cologne which permeated the air at Arnold & Morgan even after their departure, obviously a substitute for a shower for the Stones on that particular day. :-) Thanks for the memory jog about ARC equipment...as you know I have been enamored with this manufacturer's audio equipment since the late 1970s, and consider myself very fortunate to currently own several ARC pieces, particularly their new VS115 power amp. It's a stunner...if you get up in my neck of the woods, you are welcome to stop by for a listen.

Timrhu -- My memory is hazy about the A&M building but I believe Arnold & Morgan was a standalone building (Is this correct, Albert?) located near a strip shopping mall in Garland, Texas, a northeastern suburb of Dallas. I do not recall if they carried Pioneer gear or not. Albert could probably fill us in on the audio lines they carried in the mid-to-late 1970s. I remember that the lower end Yamaha/Dual equipment was highly recommended for those on extremely tight budgets.

I just took a quick look at the cartridge on my mother's turntable last night. She mentioned when she gave it to me that she had replaced "the needle" right before she had stopped using it. It appears she had a Grado Green installed, and it looks pristine. I am going to take the turntable to our local dealer for a quick tuneup and hopefully it will operate as good as it looks. :-)

A walk down Memory Lane can certainly do the soul good, just like listening to a good Sam Cooke melody like "You Send Me".
mcrheist OP
130 posts
 
This was my first time to poke my head back in and I wanted to thank all of you for your kind comments.

Stiltskin (Mark) -- I am going to purchase my mother a small, compact bookshelf all-in-one system (her request) which will include a CD player and possible a cassette player if such an animal exists. Your suggestion is an excellent one, and would be a great surprise to my Mother.

Lithojoe -- Thank you for your kind comments

Albert -- I cherish our 31-year-old friendship, and wouldn't trade it for the world. Thank you, my friend.

Goldeneraguy -- Thank you for posting your comments.

Finally, in closing this post, I had to share a couple more thoughts. We tease our Mom because she saved every greeting card, every operational manual, every cartoon...but her "packrat" mentality really paid off for me yesterday. In the deepest recesses of a closet in her garage, my brother found my precious Barbie & Skipper dolls and all their accessories. I thought these were long gone. They were in mint condition, and brought back a flood of memories. Needless to say, I became overwhelmed with emotion when I saw them. They are more than just "things" to me...they are a touchstone to my childhood.

Last night, when I tucked my Mom in bed at her new ALF apartment, I thanked her for being the "World's Greatest Packrat". I also thanked her for not tossing those dolls out all those years ago. She said, "Mary, I knew one day that you would want these, and that they would be valuable to you. Not in a monetary sense, but in a sentimental sense." Once again, Mom, you were right.

I recently told a friend that the most difficult part of aging is not about my own physical changes. I actually am proud of the wrinkles; I feel they are proof that I have lived, enjoyed life, and survived the "challenges". For me, the most difficult part has been to be an observer of my own parents' decline in health and inability to function as they have in their better years.

The Circle of Life truly does come back around. It is an honor to observe.
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