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In a world of silence, shadow and stillness, Christopher A. Harmon wields the powers of a deep inner secret to hold back the crushing weight of the void that surrounds him.
No one is certain exactly when it began, but the first signs that something was amiss appeared shortly after Harmon?s sixth birthday. His usual gentle and fun-loving personality changed dramatically. He became oddly rude towards others and he had a tendency to behave carelessly, sometimes even dangerously ? such as riding his bike in front of oncoming cars. This bewildering switch in Harmon?s nature coincided with the birth of his sister and doctors assured his parents that it was nothing more than a classic case of sibling jealousy, advising them to exercise strict discipline. But as the months went by, the situation worsened and now the boy was behaving hysterically, often attacking others unprovoked.
Finally, suspicious that something just wasn?t right, Harmon?s parents checked him into the Indiana University Hospital near their home where he underwent nearly a month of intensive testing. There, doctors discovered that the boy was suffering from combined hearing, vision and balance loss, but were unable to determine the cause. It became clear that Harmon was not being rude, he simply couldn?t hear people talking to him. Nor was he being careless; he couldn?t see the cars coming at him. And his hysterical behavior was the effect of being repeatedly punished for what seemed to the child like no reason at all.
Not until Harmon was admitted to the Children?s Hospital in Philadelphia was it discovered that he had an extremely rare neurological condition known as Spino Cerebellar Degeneration that bottlenecks communication between the spinal cord and the cerebellum. At that time and still today, very little was known about this disease. Doctors did know that it was a progressive condition that would see gradual deterioration of motor and muscular control and loss of other functions, somewhat similar to MD. Medical specialists gently advised the parents to expect the worst, saying that Harmon would not live past the age of ten. Harmon celebrated his tenth birthday very much a robust healthy boy. Doctors extended the grim prophecy to age twelve and then fifteen. Until finally, they gave up guessing and said, ?Chris will die when he darn well feels like it.? And now Harmon is approaching 38 and still chuggin? along through the prairie sure and steady.
Shortly after being diagnosed, Harmon?s family moved from Indianapolis to Eden Prairie, Minnesota where he began third grade. The town?s school board took one look at his file and concluded that if a student could not hear, see or walk, he must also surely be cognitively dysfunctional and they proceeded to dump the boy into Special Education. But scholastic aptitude tests showed that Harmon, who loved to read and never left the library with less than the maximum number of books allowed, had an IQ far above the standard for a third grader. After a year and a half of heated debate, Harmon was returned to the mainstream classroom and began working with his first Sign Language interpreter. But Harmon did not escape the months in Special Education without some ill-effects. The constant confusion and self-doubt triggered an identity crisis within the boy that lasted into his early adulthood and was to be a foreshadowing of the many trials and hardships that were destined to haunt him for the remainder of his life.
?Who am I?? Harmon asks himself over and over. ?Who am I??
Today, Harmon is deaf, legally blind and moves about in a wheelchair. He uses a respirator to help him breathe for most of the day and eats through a gastric tube. He can chat and crack jokes with family and friends, or discuss business at a meeting by communicating through Sign Language. Because of the combined effects of his disabilities, Harmon has no voice. He ?talks? to an interpreter who reads his lips and voices aloud his words ? a rather slow and tedious process as well as one that requires months for an interpreter to learn. A typical day usually has a bump or two popping up into Harmon?s path, but he never lets them stop him.
?Challenge and I have been best friends since I was six,? Harmon explains. ?There is always a way to make things work. You just have to nudge and sometimes pound at it.?
Armed with this positive outlook, Harmon continues to lead an active life. He enjoys such activities as watching movies on the big screen, playing with his niece and going for ?rolls? around the lake near his Burnsville home. Harmon gives much of the credit for his independence to the Sign Language interpreters who work with him. They do more than facilitate communication ? they are the vital element linking Harmon to life.
?That triumphant day when I secured fulltime Sign Language interpreter services after eighteen months of battle in the courtroom is forever immortalized in my memory,? Harmon recalls. ?That was the day I found life cupped in my hands.?
And that was the day Harmon decided it was time. Time to unleash the might of the deep inner secret that keeps him from sinking into the quicksand of despair. A secret that propels him into a tomorrow bright with hope and optimism. His imagination.
?Ever since the onset of my sensory impairments, I have lived in a world of silence, shadow and stillness. It was cold, dark, bleak... totally empty. I couldn?t handle the awful nothingness. Humans simply are not meant to live in a void.?
Harmon shudders as he shares this memory. ?I was sitting in a waiting room at the Philadelphia Children?s Hospital frozen with fright because I knew more painful tests were coming. Mother pressed a book into my clammy hands, it was ?Eddie and the Fire Engine? by Carolyn Haywood. I opened the book ? and on the first page, I was magically whisked away to a world that was whole and rich in sound, color and motion. The void was gone. That?s where I discovered my secret.?
By sitting within six inches of the computer monitor and dictating to a small army of interpreters, Harmon began to harvest the fruits of his imagination and put them down on the page. He has now completed four manuscripts, all of which will be part of The Hourglass Tales series. The first of a two-part story titled ?Treasures of the Shadows? was his first triumph and was released in January, 2007. The second part, ?Secrets of the Shadows? will become available in the near future. The story is a fictional historical drama set during the Great Depression. Other titles to come include another two-part story that captures the drama of the American Revolutionary War. The Hourglass Tales series would be most appropriately placed alongside of such cherished classics as ?Anne of Green Gables?, ?Heidi? and the modern series of ?American Girls?. A key difference between Harmon?s work and the ones just listed is that Harmon?s stories are designed to be appreciated by all age groups and not just by the youth.
Every author must choose a medium for their writing. For Harmon, it?s fiction. But not just any ordinary fiction. He uses the loom of his imagination to weave threads of reality into the fabric of his stories. ?I feel the most comfortable in the total freedom that you have with a story that?s entirely made up,? explains Harmon. ?But at the same time, a story is stronger and more meaningful when you incorporate real life morals. I have a wealth of insight that I?ve gained through my many years of struggle and I want to share the benefits of those lessons with other people. Plus I think it?s fun to challenge myself and find ways to weave parallels of my own experiences into the story.?
And parallels indeed jam pack the story of ?Treasures of the Shadows? and ?Secrets of the Shadows.? Some of them will be immediately obvious, such as the haunting ?Who am I? theme. Others will only be deciphered by the thinking reader. And still others will never be understood or even noticed by anyone but Harmon. And then there are the characters. Each of the dozen or so primary characters represents a different element that is constantly working to shape Harmon?s life. Examples are: optimism, defeat, doubt, determination and the unpredictable.
What?s next, another book? ?More stories are on the way,? answers Harmon, grinning mischievously. ?Some of them won?t fit in a book? but we will see them come alive in true sound, color and motion.?
Harmon is hinting at the Minnesota-based company he founded in 2004, Legacy Pictures, Inc. and his ambitious vision to become an independent ?indie? film producer. He has personally met with and received letters of endorsement from former Vice President Walter Mondale, Executive Director of IFP Minnesota (a nationwide nonprofit filmmaker?s support organization), US Senator Norm Coleman, former St Paul Mayor Randy Kelly and other high profile individuals.
The mission of Legacy Pictures is to develop and produce quality family entertainment in the form of feature length films that portray inspirational and moral messages. The company is geared to produce mainly live action musicals, although it will consider non-musical works of exceptional creative flavor and dramatic appeal.
Legacy Pictures? productions will be designed to address issues currently at the center of the Human condition in a fun and light-hearted manner appropriate for audiences of all ages. With this ideology firmly in its sight, Legacy Pictures will accept scripts that tell a tale of insight gained through the experiences of others who face challenges in their daily lives.
?In every person born in this world, there is a story to tell,? Harmon notes. ?And it is that story that gives each and every one of us purpose and worth.?
Harmon?s vision is deeply rooted in his strong desire to break free of the void that holds him back from experiencing the true wonders of the world. Mingling with people, sharing his adventures, hearing theirs?it?s the most beautiful thing life has to offer.
?Have you ever felt that sense of 'aha!? after listening to someone tell a fascinating story of how they faced and overcame an obstacle? a story that captures your heart because you endure the same pain? I have, every time I meet someone new. That?s what made me realize the influence of a role model to make us aware of the gift that we all carry within. The empowerment of the indomitable human spirit.?
Harmon continues, ?It may take twelve monks to mold a candle, but it only takes one to light the flame. Granted, no one will ever solve the world?s burdens, but the glow of a single candle can reach a long way. For all you know, your inspiration just may touch another life where it really matters.?
?For over a quarter of a century, my story has been a tale of trial and endurance. Every morning when I wake up, life presents me with a choice: the bleakness of pessimism or the hope of optimism. It has been a struggle at times; but in the end, I always tell the rising sun, ?it might be tough, but I?m going to hang on to my dream. I?m gonna make that movie!??
Is it feasibly possible for a man deprived of his primary senses to master a magnum opus of music, color and motion? ?If you know the secret of filmmaking, then the answer is ? absolutely,? Harmon replies confidently. ?It happens to be the same secret that I use in my daily life. The imagination.?
Harmon goes on to explain in deeper detail that filmmaking is a profession driven by the intellect and vision which are the nuclei of the imagination. ?It doesn?t matter if your body doesn?t work the so-called ?normal? way, it?s just a superficial machine. What matters is what you?ve got inside. All you need is a mind and a heart. I know a few people who will disagree with this, but my mind and heart work just fine,? he finishes with a grin.
The road of an indie filmmaker is a long and challenging one. Unlike a production sponsored by a ?major? studio such as Paramount Pictures or 20th Century Fox which have everything needed readily available, an indie producer must start from scratch and pull together talent, equipment and services from an unorganized array of resources scattered across the country. ?It?s like working with a Lego master set,? Harmon explains. ?You have to dig through a huge jumble of building blocks to find the one unique piece that you need. And sometimes you have to rake through the pile more than once before you find it.?
The first hurdle Harmon faces in launching his venture into Development is securing a start-up budget of $100,000. The funds will cover the cost of several key items necessary to get the production underway. Perhaps the most critical item targeted in the budget is hiring a partnering producer. Because this is Harmon?s first cut in the movie business, he has decided to enlist an experienced producer who will play the dual role of assisting him in producing the reel while teaching him the finer tricks of the trade. Other plans outlined in the budget include hiring a casting director to attach talent to the first project, optioning a slate of scripts and working with an entertainment attorney to develop a business plan and investment offerings. To help expedite the fundraising process, Legacy Pictures will place the $100,000 in a 501(c)(3) fiscal sponsorship account ? a move that will allow donors to enjoy the tax benefits of a charitable contribution. IFP Minnesota has been contracted to provide the fiscal sponsorship services.
Not the kind to sit around waiting for things to drop out of the blue, Harmon has already set his vision in motion. Teaming up with Doug Klozzner, a professional screenwriter based in NYC, Harmon masterminded Legacy Pictures? first script ? a feature length drama/adventure entitled SPARKLE, SERENA! ?The story has a great mix of nearly every genre, including action, drama, suspense, humor and even a touch of romance. The plot is built from all three types of stories: man vs. man, man vs. nature and with the greatest emphasis on man vs. the self.? The project is still short of the $5M needed to move it into production. A project description of SPARKLE, SERENA! is available at http://legacypicturesinc.com/sparkleserena.htm.
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1. Count your blessings.
2. Concentrate on the things that you can do,
not the things you cannot do.
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