In general, filming CamacCam went smoothly. The lights worked, the mic worked, the camera worked, the batteries didn't run out. But - the interview with harp technician George Flores is lost. I have no idea what happened, but it's not on the camera any more, and I could not import it. It's almost certainly my fault. OF ALL INTERVIEWS. It is SUCH a shame, because George's story is an incredible and inspiring one.
In 2004, George suffered a motorcycle accident that left him paralysed from the waist down. You can read an account of what happened here (this is an article from 2008 - George is now back at work). Against all the odds, with enormous dedication and courage, George is no longer bed-ridden. Quite the reverse: he has returned to work as a harp technician, equipped with a special standing wheelchair that allows him to reach the top of the harp (pictured on George's facebook page, here). "People say 'why don't you just lay the harp on its side?' ", George explained to me. "But to do a professional job on the column rods, the harp needs to be standing up. And I am a professional, and I was not prepared to do a less than professional job because of my accident."
George has recently built a harp, which he'll be auctioning soon to raise money for Adult Stem Cell Research. You can find pictures of him building the harp here, and follow his Facebook page for details of when the auction will be.
George sure has amazing resilience and dedication in playing the harp. After reading the document about his accident, you'd almost think his injuries were enough to put an end to his career. But George managed to get up and continue playing.
Posted by: Stephen Schaunt | October 06, 2011 at 08:20 PM