“I would have been happy being a teacher,” says the 78-year-old singer/actor, reflecting back on the year he took a break from the music business and taught math at Litchfield Preparatory School in Connecticut. “I loved the curriculum; I loved the act of teaching.”
After instant fame from the album, Bridge Over Troubled Water, teaching gave him an opportunity to take a step back and reassess his life. “I walked in that September as their math teacher,” he recalls. “I had on my suit and tie. And I started putting triangles on the blackboard. I never said, ‘Yes, I am the guy who gave you Sound of Silence.’ We were there for geometry.”
Eventually, Garfunkel decided to pursue a solo music career and various film roles. During the 1980s, he traversed both Japan and the United States on foot and has since walked across a significant part of the world. And it was during his long-distance walks that he began to write poetry.
Each of our lives takes its unexpected twists and turns. As we change, our needs change. And when they do, it’s a good time to review the benefits and discounts available to you through ASBA. Your membership may entitle you to a free benefits review. Our skilled agents can help you stretch your retirement dollars or fill in gaps in your health coverage. Learn more online.
Meanwhile, take time to appreciate all the people and experiences that have helped shape who you are today. As Garfunkel says, “I feel different because of the many people and extraordinary amount of good fortune that fell into my lap and made up my life.”
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