The Movie-Turned-Movement
About Marty Klein
I was born in Brooklyn, NY in 1948. I grew up in one of the most culturally rich areas in the U.S. My interests growing up were sports, music and weather. 1965 - I Attended University of Miami. I found the learning experience quite stifling at the university, especially because they did not have a meteorology program. The closest program was Oceanography and it did not hold my interest. So my attention went to sports, music, horse racing and pool. I developed an expertise at the game of pocket billiards and I became South Florida's amateur champion in 1968 with a nickname of "Florida Marty." 1967–1970 - Enlisted into the United States Air Force to avoid the draft and eventually served as a sergeant. My childhood dream came true when I was sent to Champagne, Illinois, to attend Weather School to become a meteorologist. I then spent the remaining time as a weatherman at Homestead Air Force Base in South Florida. 1968-1974 - After 3 operations and much struggle with an eye disease which I incurred while serving in the USAF, I lost my vision and was totally blind. This was the biggest challenge of my life but eventually turned out to be a blessing in disguise. 1971-1975 - I moved around the country from Florida to New Mexico and finally ended up in Woodstock, NY, where I found my connection to people and community. 1976-1984 - Worked for Family of Woodstock, a crisis intervention center. I found my identity while working and living in Woodstock as a man, a loving partner, a caring stepfather, and a good friend. 1991 - I came to a place of grounding and clarity about my journey. I wrote and self-published my memoir, Blindsighted, One Man's Journey From Sight to Insight. 1977–1996 - I became involved with Re-Evaluation Counseling (co-counseling) and after five years started teaching classes and eventually led workshops as well as being in charge of the whole local RC community for four years. I found the theory impeccable and the people open-hearted. The leaders were intelligent and inspiring models. I learned a lot about emotional release, oppression and liberation issues. 1995 - I attended Florida School of Massage and received my national certification to practice bodywork. I had a real knack for massage and now have a deeper understanding of the body and all its subtleties. 1996-1997 - Started the Disabled Social Hour (DASH), a monthly gathering for people with disabilities in Tallahassee, Florida 1997–2000 - Started a website, "Blind Spots," movie reviews for visually impaired people, which informed blind people of the ease or difficulty each movie would be to follow at a theater with a sighted assistant. For 5 years I had the movie reviews reprinted in Dialogue, a magazine for visually impaired people. 1997-1998 - I started a health-care givers support group which met monthly for 2 years in Tallahassee, Florida. 1998–2005 - Founded and served as Executive Director of Southern Springs, a holistic learning center in Tallahassee, Florida. Southern Springs brought inspirational speakers and teachers like Ram Dass, Deepak Chopra, Marianne Williamson, etc. 2002 - Wrote and published Emotional Cleansing, The Spiritual Journey Toward a Clear Heart. Emotional Cleansing is a self-help book based on information I learned as well as all the experiences I had during the years I spent in the counseling world. 2006 - I co-founded Namaste Yoga Center. As a result of my own interest in Yoga and realizing that everything happens on a mat, I had the insight of how wonderful it would be to create a way of getting blind people involved in Yoga. I co-produced a 5-CD instructional set called "Beginning Yoga for the Blind and Visually Impaired." A website was created to promote the concept: blindyoga.net 2013 - I produced a 6-minute Youtube video about yoga to help inspire visually impaired people to get involved in a fitness program. You can find it by Googling Marty Klein, Blind Yoga and Youtube. 2007-2009 - Wrote a screen play, "Fat Chance," a romantic comedy loosely based on events that took place in my life. I wrote a second screenplay, "Die Trying," a controversial drama about death, dying and assisted suicide which was inspired by witnessing the deaths of my wife's mother and sister from brain tumors. 2013 - I wrote and published my third book, The Enlightened Gambler, The Heart and Spirit of the Risk Taker in All of Us. The book is a blend of my Brooklyn roots with my spiritual path. It explains the human desire to "dance in the land of uncertainty." I continue to write. I have written articles for the visually impaired as well as dealing with insights into the human dilemma and psyche. "A Human Perspective on The Theory of Relativity," "The Power of Attention," "An Elegant Solution" and "A Wake-Up Call for Americans with Disabilities" are four examples. Short stories like "Spots on the Wall," "A Chance for Glory," and "Healing Waters" are other pieces I have written. I became interested in and fell in love with the music I heard when I went to Omega Institute and participated in a spiritual workshop with Ram Dass. The sound of the harmonium that Krishna Das played at night touched my heart. I've been chanting and leading Kirtan, evenings of sacred chanting, with my harmonium ever since as well as embracing the Bella, a new percussion instrument, and playing drums. I continue to write and teach rhythm as well as sustaining massage and counseling in my life. I am currently available for private counseling as well as facilitating workshops and support groups. |
