Hello, everyone! I pray you're all doing well, staying safe and having a blessed day. What with trying to learn the layout of this wonderful platform, I haven't had a lot to say, so I figure I'd come out here and tell you all a little bit about myself. I am a 38-year-old male who is just out to make new friends and meet new people. I was born with an eye condition called optic nerve hypoplasia, which means that the optic nerve didn't fully develop. This condition is usually found in babies born premature, but I was born two weeks late. I was born in Kokomo, Indiana to two wonderful parents who are Christians and Conservatives. Shortly after I was born, my dad had to take us back to South Carolina, as he was in the Navy. It was there that my sister was born. After my dad's time in the Navy, we moved back to Kokomo, Indiana to be closer to family. At the age of 4, I became a residential student at the Indiana School for the Blind, now Indiana School for the Blind and Visually Impaired. But when I was 6, my family moved to Indianapolis, but during a trip to Kokomo, my aunt told my sister and I about God's saving grace that was shown to us by the death of Jesus. My sister and I gave our lives to Jesus as we were coming home from my cousin's baptismal service. For me, there has been no looking back. During my early years, my parents discovered that I had developed talent in music, as I would learn new songs I heard by ear. But ironically, the first time I heard a piano being played for the first time, I was terrified of it because it was so loud. I must mention here that sometimes when one is blind, and they can't see what something is, they may get scared easily, and that was what happened with me. We were in church at the time, but I was in the nursery. The piano wasn't far from the nursery. The staff ended up having to take me away from it, and we walked around the church a bit. But after church, my mom was told what happened, and she showed me the piano, and it was love at first touch. So, I got my first piano lesson when I was 7 going on 8, and I got my first piano shortly after, thanks to my family. When I was about 9, it was very clear that my mom and dad weren't getting along. By this time, I was spending only 2 nights a week at school, as they thought this would be great to give me a chance to develop more social skills. So it didn't affect me too bad when my mom and dad finally divorced. Around the age of 10, both my mom and dad found someone new to marry, and I was blessed with wonderful stepparents and stepbrothers from my stepmom. At around the age of 11, we moved back to Kokomo, Indiana, and I once again became a full-time residential student again. It was very difficult to adjust to, but God was with me, and I made the adjustments. But by the time I became a teenager and earned more priveleges, I loved being at the school, and it became more of a home to me. I was really participating in jazz combo and a few sports. I was also briefly interested in Ham Radio, and so I had a lot going on, but at the same time, I got closer to my friends, too. On September 13, 2001, I lost my grandpa due to a massive heart attack. I'm still blessed to have 3 grandparents still around out of the ones I was blessed with from birth, and my stepmom's parents and grandma are still around, and they're also great people. But Grandpa York was one I spent a lot of time with, and we had lots of fun going to the auction on a weekly basis. We also would go to breakfast on Sunday morning with relatives, and a couple of these same relatives would go out to eat with us on Saturday night, too, just before we went to the auction. But, God helped me get through the grief of losing him. On May 22, 2003, I graduated from the Indiana School for the Blind. It was a bit difficult, as I had made a lot of friends there, and many of my friends were scattered around the State of Indiana. I moved out on my own on July 13 of the same year. Of course, like many of us, there are some things I wish I could correct and handle the right way, but God doesn't allow us to go back in time, and in so many ways, that could be a great thing. I was vulnerable and let myself be taken advantage of a lot, but I've become stronger for it. But God has been and always will be a great God, and I certainly look forward to meeting Him face to face one day. If anyone has any questions, you're welcome to ask me. I don't get offended easily, and I don't believe in making anyone feel stupid because of their questions. God bless you all, and I'm glad to meet you!
