BocelliOnline

Fantom · Joined: 17 Jan 2004 Posts: 235

Reading this interesting thread, I think I can understand why Andrea is reluctant to discuss his blindness publicly. All of the "what ifs" really don't change the "what IS." No doubt he has pondered all of these questions at some time in his life. He has come to some sort of peace with it all and is just playing the hand that was dealt to him. Despite our best wishes, most likely it will not change. To be subjected to all these questions would distract him from his chosen life work--to sing.

But just to add another "what if" to the mix of "if he were to regain his sight..." Imagine being the person closest to Andrea, the person he most depends upon, the person who has made his life her life. As their needs change, how would that relationship change? No doubt there would be some tremendous adjustments.
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Fantom

Bocellifan4ever · Joined: 11 Nov 2003 Posts: 394 Location: Lavale Maryland.

Rosied,Hello.
I'm fine and how are you?
Your Rock picked the winner for the AI,and didn't even know he was right.
Very good pick.He does sound like Michael McDonald to a certain extent.

You are right Rosied,most of the show this past year was Moronic,and the songs didn't fit the singers some of the time. Even the Judges said so too.
Well,time will tell how far Taylor goes in his career of being the AI.

Right,again,that Hick's is no Joe Cocker.

Claire.
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Claire B Berlendy

kathanne · Joined: 04 Apr 2006 Posts: 64 Location: Frodsham

Strangely I also have always felt that Andrea will one day regain his sight. I honestly don'know why I should think this and I should be very much afraid of the consequences.I have met several people who have regained their sight after years of blindness. I am not an expert in the subject but I know that although some learn to cope and go on to lead "normal" lives others are not so fortunate. I have heard of several divorces and many cases of depression , severe illness and unbearable headaches leading to long spells in hospital. It seems that for some the brain can't cope with information received through the eyes after many years of reciving it from the other senses. It goes into overload with devastating results. All the difficulties imagined by Gladys present themselves. I would imagine that it might be easier to cope if nothing in your life had changed overmuch but ,medical problems much depends upon the character of the individual I think Andrea would cope.

Em · Joined: 03 Mar 2003 Posts: 575 Location: Carmel, Ca

kathanne · Joined: 04 Apr 2006 Posts: 64 Location: Frodsham

Strangely I also have always felt that Andrea will one day regain his sight. I honestly don'know why I should think this and I should be very much afraid of the consequences.I have met several people who have regained their sight after years of blindness. I am not an expert in the subject but I know that although some learn to cope and go on to lead "normal" lives others are not so fortunate. I have heard of several divorces and many cases of depression , severe illness and unbearable headaches leading to long spells in hospital. It seems that for some the brain can't cope with information received through the eyes after many years of reciving it from the other senses. It goes into overload with devastating results. All the difficulties imagined by Gladys present themselves. I would imagine that it might be easier to cope if nothing in your life had changed overmuch but ,medical problems apart,much depends upon the character of the individual. I am sure he would cope..

rosied · Joined: 16 Oct 2004 Posts: 133

This situation reminds me of the movie "The Shawshank Redemption". Don't laugh!....When James Whitmore was released from prison after a lifetime of confinement he committed suicide. The real world was too much of a change for him. Now, I'm not literally applying that to this situation, but only in the sense that it would be a very drastic change....with a whole new set of rules. Maybe he wouldn't like some of these changes. Maybe he would feel he had LESS control....because more would be expected of him in different ways.

When I said Andrea would be the same....I meant he would be the same Andrea WITH all his same complexities ..they would not just vanish with the opening of his eyes.
The fact that he looks so calm is because his face is devoid of the kind of expressions we are used to.... animation... but for that smile. I don't think this mean that he is calm inside!
When we sat near him in the dining room in LLV, he seemed restless, bouncing his foot and tapping the table...typical mannerisms.

He has come to terms with his lot in life and has certainly made lemonade from lemons as the saying goes.......Barbara Walters asked him if he ever felt sorry for himself because he is blind...he said "No"..... but I think that's because he has replaced that emotion with the tremendous drive that has gotten him where he is. I'm not so sure he hasn't at SOME time or other asked...Why me??? God knows he's as strong as they come, but he's human.

kathanne · Joined: 04 Apr 2006 Posts: 64 Location: Frodsham

apologies to everyone ,you seem to be getting double posts from me now to make up for 'the disappeared'. I am sure that one is more than enough.You may be right, Rosie,I,ve had a lotof interruptions lately and may have taken longer than usual to type my text. I just wanted to say to Fantom that I can well inderstand why Andrea does not want to speak about his blindness and I am very pleased that he does not allow questions about it. If he did I would not be able to listen. I used to feel uncomfortable watching him with his wife and children. I felt that I had no right to see what he had never seen and would never see. To discuss it as we are here is an entirely different matter. I was interested to find that the people I met who had regained their sight all felt that their partners were strangers to them after they regained their sight and they had to begin again. In some cases this worked out and in others it led to divorce. I think that Gladys has has pinpointed exactly why this would be so.

Gladys · Joined: 26 May 2006 Posts: 41

Lindy · Posted: Wed Jun 07, 2006 7:53 pm Post subject:

First of all, Andrea portrays confidence in his appearance as he doesn't wear dark glasses like so many other artists have done in the past. That is one of the first things I noticed about his appearance, and I'm glad, as his face is full of expression.....yes, even his eyes you cannot see. The next thing I noticed was his humility. True humility cannot be faked. Next was the sound of his voice, then the music and how the sounds blended.....amazing.
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Lindy :)

Em · Joined: 03 Mar 2003 Posts: 575 Location: Carmel, Ca

Oh Lindy...How gracious you are,my heart sings when I read your beautiful words of Andrea's personality..and I love you for that..I agree with every word..He is a rare gift..
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What you truly believe of another, you awaken within them

Anna in NY · Posted: Thu Jun 08, 2006 2:03 am Post subject:

Gladys · Joined: 26 May 2006 Posts: 41

I can certainly see where you are coming from but I cannot see it for Andrea. I feel it is important for him to appear to be at peace, to tell the world this is really okay being blind because not to, is to appear as an object of pity which is what he dreads. When he turned 42, he remarked that he had been in darkness for thirty years. That does not sound peaceful to me but regrettful. On birthdays, do you think of yourself as being epileptic for that many years? Probably not, I would imagine.

kathanne · Joined: 04 Apr 2006 Posts: 64 Location: Frodsham

I was very moved by your words Anna -obviously straight from the heart. It takes a lot of courage to speak about something that affects you so personally even given the anonymity of this board but it must be worth it to help others to understand. i have to say that when I first read about Andrea's Lourdes visit I was struck by the maturity shown by the child. If I"m not completely mistaken was he not about 8or 9 at the time ? But then I reflected that here was a very intelligent,sensitive child and I know from my own experience that any sort of suffering does tend to have this effect. In any event ,I hope that it is true for his sake and that his prayers were answered. Thinking about it again I can see that you would be afraid to ask for the greater thing ,as most of us would see it, because you couldn't bear the prospect of disappointment but could ask for serenity as this is not tangible or immediately apparent to others. Of course this is the greater gift, Anna , and I dont think it matters if the story is totally factual. In telling it Andrea is saying exactly what you have said.

kathanne · Joined: 04 Apr 2006 Posts: 64 Location: Frodsham

Yes, of course, he is terrified of inviting pity. As you have pointed out before,Gladys, it must have been particularly difficult for someone like Andrea- mentally and physically active- to cope with the constraints and limitations of blindness. He has been amazingly successful in overcoming these obstacles to the point of beng envied rather than pitied but I wonder if anyone so healthy active, alive could ever achieve"peace ' to the point where they didn't regret the loss of sight. He has more reasons to regret its loss now than he had as a young boy. I wonder, also if peace and acceptance are the same thing? Each may lead to the other but I don' think they are identical. Andrea obviously has "peace' as his goal. He may be working towards if but not there yet. If he were to achieve it would he lose his passion and fire in other ways. I am reminded of the words of his poem L'Incontro. "when I am old and surrendered:. Perhaps he is not ready to surrender yet or to 'accept' and won't achieve serenity or peace until he is {if ever}