I Cried Today


I know what what I am about to say will not have any direct meaning to most of you reading this, but I cried today about a person I never met.  I repaired and upgraded this persons audio preamp and power amplifier.  He was suffering from cancer.  He wanted to do this for his son so that he could enjoy music like every person here does.  He shipped his components to me and they were recently returned.  The other day I found out that he passed a month ago from his illness.  We had many conversations about music and audio over the past several months.  I got to know him as a person.  He loved his family, and he loved music.  Although I never met him, I got to know him.  He was a fine human being, loved life, and was a fine gentleman.  I guess that is what life should be all about.

Anyway, I cried today knowing that John Hoffman is no longer on this earth and now he is with GOD.  I hope there is a fantastic audio system playing music for you to hear John.  Happy Listening and Rest in Peace.  

 

bigkidz

@bigkidz ...Thank you for sharing your thoughts & feelings on John, and I'd wager a guess we've all had some 'brush' with mortality in some fashion on these pages.

It's when it edges closer to one as we approach the 'last lift of the cart off the LP', it gets ones' attention...

"It's weird being the same age as old people.", as expressed on a t-shirt some of us probably should wear...depending upon how one considers that reality....
I'm certainly subject to that, but still feel healthy enough to challenge infinity...😏

Yeah...Right....You can fool yourself, but you can't fool fate.

Upon similar lines, that occurred to me, on this site, awhile back....

One of us approached me in a PM, "...out of the blue, in the western skies..."

"Would you be interested in a preamp? I've two that I'd like to gift you with...your choice."   (Either/both beyond my means, then & even now...of course, I responded "Uh...sure....)

That's why I now own a Parasound C2, and we began an off-A'Gon relationship for an enjoyable span of emails.  Trading tales, histories, the occasional 'behind the pages' snide and support of what was about that evening' (The names will remain a mystery we will both take to the Beyond...)

He beat me to that destination...S4 cancer....the emails vagued, then stopped.

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In that way-too-brief span, he sent as well a dbx and an ESS xover, the latter since we both shared a fondness for the Heil amts'; the second, somewhat rare of late....

It was admitted that the 'better items' were to be to his son and others, but thought I'd 'enjoy them and give 'em a proper home...'

I've certainly tried and will continue...

But, just before the messages stopped, one of the last stated:

"This is one I don't want you to get all misty-ass over....but I want you to enjoy them as much as we do....'K?"

I saw my spouse accept the parcel from our FedEx driver and heard him say

"Kinda heavy for something so small...."  and I knew Exactly what the final gift was.

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Next response...the only I could stay within the desire stated...

"Ok...but you can fill  the *blank* in anyway...I'll just sit stunned and grateful...;)"

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One of the kindest and generous person I've never met, and will never have the pleasure of doing so... and an fellow audiophile with so much in common with...

Life is not fair.  It never extends any guarantee of such, of course, but....*wtf/over*

So...Y'all...if I post something like this, as silly and apparently 'cutesy' as it may seem...

I've my reasons......but hoping Jerry has gotten to hear... 

whatever it may be....RIP, good friend....

...even my spouse wouldn't gift me those... 😔