Mark sang RHCP's Soul to Squeeze in the other video. It is a beautiful song, with beautiful lyric. I tried to keep up singing with Mark but somehow I can't follow him singing. I was burst in tears. He is so radiant and grateful for what he has n don't stop struggling for something he loves: music. Here goes his biography I've found in Big Toe official website:
Mark Goffeney frequently performs and speaks at schools and various organizations promoting independence, self acceptance, and diversity.
Mark Goffeney is a native San Diegan whose talent and ambition have helped him to achieve ongoing success as a performer, speaker and television personality.
Mark has been recognized for his work internationally and was nominated for an Emmy award in 1998 for his principal role in the Fox Network commercial, “Feet”.
Born without arms in 1969, Mark was raised to see himself as an equal in society and to value independence. With these values instilled, Mark was soon noticed by several charities and by 1973 had become a Poster Child and principal; fund-raiser for both the Variety Club and March of Dimes. For the next decade, Mark co-hosted hundreds of telethons working side by side with celebrities including Monte Hall and Kathy Lee Gifford. By 1981, Mark was credited for having raised over 6 million dollars for children’s charities.
He has appeared on Real People, the Mike Douglas Show and Regis Philbin.
Mark's band Big Toe appears nationwide, and Mark often travels solo to Japan,. Korea, Germany and the Netherlands. Mark now is also playing guitar with Alice and the Cooper gang, an Alice Cooper tribute band.
From other readings I also found out that Mark was raised in a musical family and started his music at age nine with his handicap, played trombone before he picked up a four-strings guitar as a start. wow.
And something gets me curious is the tattoo he has. I noticed his left-foot tattoo in a video which shoot his feet playing guitar. It's a design of gunungan, a tree of life in Javanese culture which is used in shadow puppets shows, and also regarded as a physical manifestation of thankfulness. It has a deep meaning, which suits Mark perfectly. I wish someday I can have conversation with him. I'll put up about gunungan later on :)
Carpe Diem Tattoo Studio's simplified gunungan tattoo work
Javanese gunungan
oh, how I'm so easily distracted :) well, In Gunungan there is a painting or relief of a tree, we call it Kalpataru – The Tree of Life. It shows that Life is complex and men will overcome everything from joy to sorrow and fall into so many emotions. By walking through all the complexities, one shall find the way to the top of the tree (of Life). One become wise to see the complexity of Life, no longer longing on the maze of emotions and no longer asking for a light in the dark jungle (depicted in the Gunungan), since one already shining by oneself. Gunungan reminds the audiences (of shadow puppets) with the complexity of Life, and how we are having a journey in Life.
Mark Goffeney is the man today, who leads the way.
A proof that a human is always as big as he/she thinks.
