"Culture is the widening of the mind and the spirit."
--Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of independent India in 1947
Greetings from the Great Northwest! After returning from a
glorious run to Volunteer Park and back home, I’m grateful for the break in the
rain and the interlude of sunshine. My intuition tells me there’ll be no White
Christmas this year, unlike 2008. But
adults (and big kids) can always hope.
The big news in 2012 is I got a job! Not just any job, but
one I really enjoy. In March I began work as a fundraiser and membership
manager for Bicycle Alliance of Washington, a statewide non-profit focused on
safety, education, and advocacy. We work with the state legislature, city, and
businesses to pass bicycle-friendly policies that protect riders, invest in
infrastructure, and make Washington a more bicycle friendly place.
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| Co-workers Louise and Josh with Jack outside our office, Spring 2012 |
I feel blessed to
have a job that makes good use of my people skills and reflects my values.
Most of my time in Seattle I’ve not owned a car and have traveled by foot,
bike, or bus. I love that my work involves societal change—for me bicycling has
the potential to mitigate so many vexing challenges we face—childhood obesity,
CO 2 emissions, traffic congestion, dependence on foreign oil, and the isolation
many experience in the car. I often ride my bike the two miles to my office in
Pioneer Square in downtown Seattle and love the feeling of freedom it gives me.
My seven member team and I are housed in a former art gallery. It’s great to
work collaboratively, and feel engaged in the community.
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| Jack and friend Chip on the shores of La Jolla, Jan 2012 |
2012 was a year of travel. After New Years I joined my
friend Chip for several days in La Jolla,
California. We dove into the frigid Pacific in our wetsuits, strolled the
beach, and visited Balboa Park. We
returned again in April for a weekend men’s retreat at Esalen located on the rugged bluffs of Big Sur several hours south
of San Francisco. We made some new friendships and returned with a heightened
awareness of living in the moment. In July I traveled with Seattle Mens Chorus
to Denver for a 5 day choral
gathering. LGBT Choruses from around the U.S. sang from morning until night at
the Denver Performing Arts Center, a complex of three adjoining theatres with a
glass atrium courtyard to protect against the rain, which finally arrived after
the early summer wildfires.
In late July I travelled to Cleveland to spend one week near
Marblehead with my Bazur cousins
from my mother’s side of the family. We took afternoon and moonlight swims in
eighty-degree Lake Erie, jogged around the
Lakeside complex where we stayed, played kickball after dinner, and engaged
in late night rap sessions on everything from health care reform to feminism. I
also spent a glorious afternoon sailing, one of the fondest memories of my
year.
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| Herb with beautiful grandson Josh, April 2010 |
On a sad note, my
godfather Herb, whose last gift was treating us to this wonderful vacation on
Lake Erie, could not be there due to an earlier hospitalization. Herbie passed
away on August 20, a great loss for our family. He taught me how to live with a
generous heart and to each day “smell the roses.” I loved him dearly.
In early February we also lost my father’s youngest, last
surviving sister. My beloved Aunt Virginia suffered a stroke just short of her
89th birthday. I returned to
Cleveland to celebrate her life with my large extended Hilovsky family and Kaps
cousins. Many of them I hadn’t seen in 25 years. I’d resolved after my Dad’s
death in 2000 that I’d stay in close touch with my aunt.
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| With a portion of the Hilovsky/Kaps clan at Aunt V's Memorial, Feb 2012 |
She welcomed my calls
and visits, always encouraging my involvement in politics, the arts, and culture.
She, like my dad, had a lovely singing voice. She was also a gifted pianist.
As I bid farewell to relatives who played an important and
loving role in my upbringing and young adulthood, I look toward milestones to come. Next year on June
6, I will turn 50 years old. I can
hardly believe it! You might ask what I’m doing to prepare or celebrate? Well,
in February I accepted my friend Jenny’s invitation to travel to India with six other friends from our days
working in Washington, D.C. We will visit New Delhi, Agra (to gaze on the Taj
Majal), Jaipur, and some other attractions in northern India. In early January
I’ll fly to L.A. to see my cousin James Hilovsky and his new wife Carey. I
missed their September wedding in Ohio but am excited to spend time with them
in the City of Angels before they
return to the Midwest.
In June I’m planning a big celebration to mark my
half-century. The theme is Bond, James
Bond. I’ve already signed my deejay, a hip social media guy with a Mohawk
and four year old daughter, and am setting my sites on a small warehouse space
near Pike Place Market. I’ve even chosen the date: Sat, June 8. Consider yourself invited to Seattle for the
celebration, but Bond fashion is a must—a dressy suit or playful tux for men,
and heels and Bond girl allure for the ladies.
There’s room for a few guests in my condo so call and let me know, if
you plan to land!
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| Moi in Oahu, Summer 2011 |
Looking back on the past year I’m grateful for the many
blessings in my life, including you. Good health, good job, good family, and friends
all are mine. May this Christmas bring new spirit and renewed dreams into your
life. May the next year usher in continued health, happiness, and plenty of fresh
roses to smell.
Jack
P.S. For those of you shivering in the Midwest, or enduring the rain here in the Pacific Northwest, I hope you like the tropical shot from a swim competition I attended last
year in Hawaii with my Masters swim group. My love of the beach continues, and my mother’s and father’s
good genes live onJ
