Hello Darkness My Old Friend
January 11, 2023
“Hello darkness, my old friend…” Everybody knows the iconic Paul Simon & Art
Garfunkel song, but do you know the amazing story behind the first line of The
Sounds of Silence?
It began when Arthur “Art” Garfunkel, a Jewish kid from Queens, enrolled in
Columbia University. During freshman orientation, Art met a student from Buffalo
named Sandy Greenberg, and they immediately bonded over their shared
passion for literature and music. Art and Sandy became roommates and best
friends. With the idealism of youth, they promised to be there for each other no
matter what.
Soon after starting college, Sandy was struck by tragedy. His vision became
blurry and although doctors diagnosed it as temporary conjunctivitis, the problem
grew worse. Finally after seeing a specialist, Sandy received the devastating
news that severe glaucoma was destroying his optic nerves. The young man with
such a bright future would soon be completely blind.
Sandy was devastated and fell into a deep depression. He gave up his dream of
becoming a lawyer and moved back to Buffalo, where he worried about being a
burden to his financially-struggling family. Consumed with shame and fear, Sandy
cut off contact with his old friends, refusing to answer letters or return phone
calls.
Then suddenly, to Sandy’s shock, his buddy Art showed up at the front door. He
was not going to allow his best friend to give up on life, so he bought a ticket and
flew up to Buffalo unannounced. Art convinced Sandy to give college another go,
and promised that he would be right by his side to make sure he didn’t fall –
literally or figuratively.
Art kept his promise, faithfully escorting Sandy around campus and effectively
serving as his eyes. It was important to Art that even though Sandy had been
plunged into a world of darkness, he should never feel alone. Art actually started
calling himself “Darkness” to demonstrate his empathy with his friend. He’d say
things like, “Darkness is going to read to you now.” Art organized his life around
helping Sandy.
One day, Art was guiding Sandy through crowded Grand Central Station when he
suddenly said he had to go and left his friend alone and petrified. Sandy
stumbled, bumped into people, and fell, cutting a gash in his shin. After a couple
of hellish hours, Sandy finally got on the right subway train. After exiting the
station at 116th street, Sandy bumped into someone who quickly apologized –
and Sandy immediately recognized Art’s voice! Turned out his trusty friend had
followed him the whole way home, making sure he was safe and giving him the
priceless gift of independence. Sandy later said, “That moment was the spark
that caused me to live a completely different life, without fear, without doubt. For
that I am tremendously grateful to my friend.”
Sandy graduated from Columbia and then earned graduate degrees at Harvard
and Oxford. He married his high school sweetheart and became an extremely
successful entrepreneur and philanthropist.
While at Oxford, Sandy got a call from Art. This time Art was the one who needed
help. He’d formed a folk rock duo with his high school pal Paul Simon, and they
desperately needed $400 to record their first album. Sandy and his wife Sue had
literally $404 in their bank account, but without hesitation Sandy gave his old
friend what he needed.
Art and Paul’s first album was not a success, but one of the songs, The Sounds of
Silence, became a #1 hit a year later. The opening line echoed the way Sandy
always greeted Art. Simon & Garfunkel went on to become one of the most
beloved musical acts in history.
The two Columbia graduates, each of whom has added so much to the world in
his own way, are still best friends. Art Garfunkel said that when he became friends
with Sandy, “my real life emerged. I became a better guy in my own eyes, and
began to see who I was – somebody who gives to a friend.” Sandy describes
himself as “the luckiest man in the world.”
Adapted from Sandy Greenberg’s memoir: “Hello Darkness, My Old Friend: How
Daring Dreams and Unyielding Friendship Turned One Man’s Blindness into an
Extraordinary Vision for Life.”
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