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  #16  
Old 05-13-2016, 08:15 AM
redir redir is offline
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Originally Posted by Gypsy77 View Post
I know that the ideal thing would be to get him off the street, and trust me I have thought about it, but it is far easier said than done. He is most likely around 40 years old, and that is really before most people became very aware of autism. Many high functioning autistic people slipped through the cracks because they were never diagnosed. It wasn't until the movie Rain Man came out that autism awareness made its way into the conciousness of the public, and even then, people tended to believe that every person with autism was like Dustin Hoffman's character in the movie (in other words, somebody with an obvious disability). They still weren't very aware of how incredibly large the autism spectrum is. If I bring up the autism thing, he could get hurt by it and take it as me saying there's something wrong with him. I really can't bring myself to do that.

Then there's the problem of finding steady employment. I've known him at least five years now, and he's never mentioned any past jobs. It's hard enough getting a job in general, but with little to zero employment history, it's only going to be 1000 times harder. It seems that his only interest is playing music every minute of the day, and in all honesty, who am I to tell him he shouldn't be doing that? He's a grown man who is allowed to live his life any way he wants, and if that's what makes him happy, then so be it. It's not my place to tell him "You need to conform to society's expextations and stop playing guitar all day and get a job." He's a good person, and that's all that really matters to me.

I'm not saying this with any kind of anger, and I really do appreciate the concern, and your offer. My wife and I agreed that we first need to get our medical bills paid off before I do this, and hopefully that can be done within the next year. I just wanted to get some info and recommendations ahead of time so I would know what to look for when the time came when I would have the money.
I understand what you mean. On a similar note I knew a Russian gentleman who was an incredible classical guitarist but suffered from alcoholism and often sold off his guitars to buy alcohol, was on and off the streets, and seemed to struggle endlessly with it. But he could make a cheapo Yamaha guitar sound better then most could make a top of the line Ramirez. So he may be very grateful to have even something cheap you can find off of Craigs List at least to tide him over. Good luck!
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  #17  
Old 05-13-2016, 08:33 AM
H2O H2O is offline
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I am thinking a Yamaha c40 would be ideal given the situation. I have owned one, and it was not too bad at all, especially for the low price. Since the gentleman you are gifting the guitar to had one stolen already, maybe a cheap, sturdy guitar that would stand up well to the elements is the way to go. The c40 is all laminate (less likely to be affected by weather) and more easily replaceable than a 1000 dollar guitar should something happen to it.

Just my 2 cents.

Good on you for your generosity!
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  #18  
Old 05-13-2016, 05:47 PM
Gypsy77 Gypsy77 is offline
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Thanks to everybody that replied with your helpful suggestions and kind words!

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Originally Posted by redir View Post
I understand what you mean. On a similar note I knew a Russian gentleman who was an incredible classical guitarist but suffered from alcoholism and often sold off his guitars to buy alcohol, was on and off the streets, and seemed to struggle endlessly with it. But he could make a cheapo Yamaha guitar sound better then most could make a top of the line Ramirez. So he may be very grateful to have even something cheap you can find off of Craigs List at least to tide him over. Good luck!
That's another reason why autism makes sense in his case. I've seen him at all times of day and he's never been drunk, nor have I ever seen him drink. He doesn't smoke either. Unlike the usual stereotype that our society puts on homeless people that they're just lazy and need to get jobs, the vast majority have mental illnesses or are suffering drug addiction or depression and use alcohol as an escape. I've never seen any sign that this guy suffers from any of that. He's always in a very upbeat mood, very sociable with people, and just seems to want to do nothing more than play guitar at all hours of the day, then use the money that people throw in his guitar case for tips to buy himself some food. Every time I've seen him he's been stone cold sober. I even had him stay at my place one night when there was a bad snow storm, and never saw any kind of sign that he had any kind of addiction or mental illness. He just crashed on the couch, took a shower, washed a load of his clothes, and we grabbed a bite to eat before heading back downtown on the train. In fact, I'll never forget that train ride, because we were the only two people on our train car until the train made one of its stops that is right next to a university, and a bunch of students got on. He had his guitar out and started playing "Asturias", and you should have seen all of these people with their jaws on the ground, mesmerized by his playing! I'll never forget it!

Last edited by Gypsy77; 05-13-2016 at 06:38 PM.
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