My Wife asks me sometimes why am I so obcessed with audio and video. She wonders if I have some kind of mental illness or trauma. Of course she doesn't understand our passion, and probably never will; but that got me to thinking.....what was my first audio system (clouds and harps strumming)? Back in 1974 when we (my family) moved into our new house, the household had what would be considered deprived today. We only had one phone, one TV and one stereo. The stereo was my parents of course and was more like a piece of furniture as opposed to a functioning piece of equipment. Being the only boy (I have 2 sisters) I was often out voted on music choices and TV shows. I wanted to listen to jazz and classical, while my sisters wanted what I considered "bubble gum" music. I wanted to watch the Six Million Dollar Man, while my sisters preferred Mork and Mindy. I know I am dating myself....I know I am not the only one. Tired of being out voted I decided to go my own way. My Dad went to the auto junk yard one day and I asked to come along. While there I came across a car radio that had an 8 track tape player. My Dad gave $8 for the unit just to get me to shut up. He thought I would get it home an soon destroy it. I removed the rear speakers from an old car in the back yard and into the house I went. I set up the car radio on my desk, hung the car speakers on the wall, and ran the power cables out of the window down to a car battery I had on the ground. After a few munutes of fiddling around and fashioning an antenna from a coat hanger, the system came to life. I had my first audio system. My sisters saw what I had contrapted, and thought it was the funniest thing they had ever seen, not to mention that I would electrocute myself. Boy were they wrong! Over the years I got summer jobs and of course the glories of working in the fast food industry, but I upgraded one component at a time. Once I had my Technics receiver and turn table, dual cassette deck, and 4 allison speakers, they quickly changed their tune. Suddenly I was chasing my sisters out of my room, because my system sounded better. Later I got my own TV, and thus started the addiction I have now. The persuit of audio and video perfection. Insanity I know... chasing the impossible.... but the thrill is not in the destination, but the journey.
Can I get an Amen?