John sits down with his wife, Ann, in Part 1 of a 2 part interview, to talk about what 30 years of sight loss has been like from her side.

She talks about the various emotions that have come with watching him struggle, and the low vision specialist appointment where John finally said, "I heard him." Along the way there's plenty of humor, including a question about who is better company on a bad day, John or Gibbs.

Cover artwork: Jennie Lodien

Editing assistance, Ann Powers and Wayne Hepler

Audio Editing: Reed Seely

Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):
https://uppbeat.io/t/christopher-galovan/peace-be-with-you
License code: 6BBTWLZGASK3QFNM

Explores the value of outside voices — friends, family, and caregivers — in navigating personal challenges, including personal stories like watching a tornado as a teenager and surrendering his driver's license.

Cover artwork: Jennie Lodien

Editing assistance, Ann Powers and Wayne Hepler

Audio Editing: Reed Seely

Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):
https://uppbeat.io/t/christopher-galovan/peace-be-with-you
License code: 6BBTWLZGASK3QFNM

Extended Interview. Features guest Corey McDonald, earlier known as "Blind Fury," who helped found the Choroideremia Research Foundation (CureCHM.org). The conversation centers on his advocacy and research work around the condition.

Cover artwork: Jennie Lodien

Editing assistance, Ann Powers and Wayne Hepler

Audio Editing: Reed Seely

Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):
https://uppbeat.io/t/christopher-galovan/peace-be-with-you
License code: 6BBTWLZGASK3QFNM

Features guest Corey McDonald, earlier known as "Blind Fury," who helped found the Choroideremia Research Foundation (CureCHM.org). The conversation centers on his advocacy and research work around the condition.

Cover artwork: Jennie Lodien

Editing assistance, Ann Powers and Wayne Hepler

Audio Editing: Reed Seely

Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):
https://uppbeat.io/t/christopher-galovan/peace-be-with-you
License code: 6BBTWLZGASK3QFNM

Uses a story about his friend Mihai driving in the right lane across Europe as a metaphor for accepting limitations instead of fighting them. It's paired with a personal story about his wife Ann helping him through a frustrating moment paying a bill online, grounding the theme in everyday married life.

Cover artwork: Jennie Lodien

Editing assistance, Ann Powers and Wayne Hepler

Audio Editing: Reed Seely

Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):
https://uppbeat.io/t/christopher-galovan/peace-be-with-you
License code: 6BBTWLZGASK3QFNM

Introduces Kintsugi, the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with gold or silver lacquer, as a metaphor for the episode's core theme. It frames hardship not as something to hide, but as something that can become part of a more valuable, more beautiful whole.

Cover artwork: Jennie Lodien

Editing assistance, Ann Powers and Wayne Hepler

Audio Editing: Reed Seely

Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):
https://uppbeat.io/t/christopher-galovan/peace-be-with-you
License code: 6BBTWLZGASK3QFNM

In this final episode of Blind and Refined Season 1, John recounts lessons from his blindness training in Des Moines—where getting lost, quite literally, became a path to finding confidence and independence. Reflecting on how discomfort and challenge can refine us, he invites listeners to consider what has helped and hindered their own growth. With gratitude and humor, John and his guide dog Gibbs wrap up Season 1 with encouragement to keep growing, even when the way forward isn’t clear.

Cover artwork: Jennie Lodien

Editing assistance, Ann Powers and Wayne Hepler

Audio Editing: Reed Seely

Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):
https://uppbeat.io/t/christopher-galovan/peace-be-with-you
License code: 6BBTWLZGASK3QFNM

John reflects on the spiritual side of living with disability, likening it to tapping into a hidden artesian well that brings life and strength. He weaves together research on the benefits of spirituality, his own story of grief after the loss of his son, and the hope he finds in the teachings of Jesus. This episode points to a God who enters into human suffering and offers rest, resilience, and renewed perspective for the journey.

Cover artwork: Jennie Lodien

Editing assistance, Ann Powers and Wayne Hepler

Audio Editing: Reed Seely

Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):
https://uppbeat.io/t/christopher-galovan/peace-be-with-you
License code: 6BBTWLZGASK3QFNM