Monday, December 24, 2012

Smelling the Roses at Christmas


"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.

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.

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.

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. 
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!

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.


 Love,


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