Random Thoughts: On Not Saying Hello to Nori Komuro

This morning, I walked right by electrician and idiosyncratic amplifier designer, Nori Komuro, and I didn’t say a word. Not even hello. Why didn’t I say anything? I don’t know. I had just emerged from the subway, and was walking up 32nd Street, toward Herald Square, and I wasn’t expecting to see an idiosyncratic amplifier designer. I was looking, instead and as usual, at the ground, at the sky, at high-heels and at skirts. I saw plenty of those. I was pulling a small handcart carrying a box of loudspeakers. Nori Komuro and I would have had something to talk about.

“Oh, loudspeakers,” Nori Komuro might have said.

“Yes,” I could have said. “I just wrote about these for our November issue. They’re the Boston Acoustics A 25. They’re awesome!”

“Really?!”

“Totally. Made any amps lately?”

But I didn’t say anything.

And I know for certain that it was Nori Komuro. He was wearing his usual reddish t-shirt, his usual bluish jeans, his usual grayish sneakers, his usual smile.

I saw him.

You know how it is when you run into a coworker at the supermarket or a professor at a bar or a stripper at church? It’s almost like you don’t recognize that person outside of the familiar, ordinary context. That’s how it was when I walked right by Nori Komuro, idiosyncratic amplifier designer, on 32nd Street, near Herald Square. What was he doing there?!

I saw him. Recognized him, but didn’t recognize him. My mind searched for answers. I walked right by him. I put my head down, turned halfway back, and whispered to no one: “That was Nori Komuro. I should have said hi to him.”

Not saying hi to Nori Komuro defined the rest of my walk to work. I shook my head all the way to the office.

Time passed and I forgot about it for awhile and now it’s 8:13pm and I’m writing about it. I wonder how my day would have been different had I said hello to Nori Komuro. It’s possible that this blog entry would have been better.

COMMENTS
alan@audioexcellenceaz.com's picture

It's highly likely that if Nori had a couple of lovely ladies with him, you would have said hello.  Next time.  :--}

michaelavorgna's picture

...about him while he thought about circuits.

Robert Deutsch's picture

Stephen, I love this blog posting--maybe because I can imagine myself doing the same thing. I can't see how the posting could have been better if you had stopped to say Hello. Possibly as good...

Steve Eddy's picture

...better keep your distance and hope he didn't read this blog entry.

Referriing to a degreed electrical engineer as an "electrician" is liable to get you a sock in the nose. surprise

se

michaelavorgna's picture

Komuro was more than likely on his way to work (as an electrician) not on his way to graduation.

Steve Eddy's picture

An electrician is a tradesman. A skilled worker. Not an engineer.

se

michaelavorgna's picture

So…an engineer is unable to work as an electrician because they are in a perpetual state of engineering. Thanks for clearing that up Steve. It’s kinda like your avatar only in words.

Steve Eddy's picture

...work as an electrician. But as far as I'm aware, Kumoro isn't working as an electrician. If he is, then I withdraw what I said.

se

billyb's picture

l

volvic's picture

No doubt he's gotten wind of this blog and has quietly said hello to you Stephen. 

Nick 

Bill Leebens's picture

"WWNKD" ("What Would Nori Komuro Do?") bracelet to suss this one out.

 

Stephen, my friend, you agonize more than I do--and that's a LOT.  I'm sure he'd forgive you.

 

Cheers, Bill

gkrr1's picture

Someday, when you have more self-confidence. Stephen, you will speak to the Nori Komuros of the world. In the meantime, your self-doubt is really quite charming! Keep your head up!

Gregg R.

dbowker's picture

Charles Schultz would have loved this posting, and understood every bit of where it was coming from. I did too.

Anton's picture

Nori Komuro talks about being dissed by "that guy at Stereophile" over at his blog:

"At first I thought he was one of those homeless guys trying to sell fake speakers to unsuspecting rubes from Jersey, then I remembered he was actually JA's boss at the magazine, or something. Man, I hope and pray that someday I have enough standing in this hobby that a bigwig like that Steve guy talks to me. I bet he's a real chick magnet, too."

R Browne's picture

..is that I had I had an audio ephiphany when I heard Muddy Waters being played through one of Nori's amps many years ago. Muddy was raised from the dead and in the room. 

Deep respect for Nori.

coruja's picture

"It’s possible that this blog entry would have been better."

No, not better, different but certainly less melancholy. Instead getting some gossip from Nori Kumoro we get the slight glimpse of the human condition! Great post.

X