Jan, this has made me think of how I can use "Called to Serve..." as a criteria for how I approach career, jobs, relationships and neighbourhoods without sacrificing my happiness and needs.
Thank you for your service, Tom. And for this excellent post, Jan. Yes, Connection and Service are vital for strong Community!
Not sure if you heard the Surgeon General’s parting prescription for the country? It’s to Prioritize Community through Relationships, Purpose and Service. Tom is doing all three. 🙏👍
Here’s a Dec 22 interview with Surgeon General— it’s a wonderful reminder, particularly in a community that often values outdoor activities, that the work of ensuring respectful, inclusive civic community is at least as important.
Hi Jan, IFJ had a planning meeting last week and I suggested that invite you to return some Third Thursday at BUFF to share about your blog, and ideas of home in relationship to C.G. Jung. One of the other members will be following up. It would be great to have you present a Salon for us... Thanks for this work! Home will take on a whole new meaning in the season ahead. Best wishes... Kevin
My wife and I spent 6 months at Fairfield after we were married and then we moved to Hailey, completely bypassing Bellevue, although I often worked there. I think I mentioned once before that we lived in a little cabin on River Street that was part of a former brothel. It was close to the bone living, shoveling snow off roofs, working construction, and doing a lot of volunteer work. My wife got a job at Sun Valley Center, or whatever it’s now called, and we made friends with some of the resident artists. (I watched Leni Riefenstahl’s Triumph of the Will there one winter day, and couldn’t stop myself from cheering when Jesse Owens beat the Nazi hordes.)
There were grim things happening then. The ayatollahs took over Iran and took Americans hostage. Fuel prices were over $.60 per gallon. One day, as I left the Hailey library with two books that changed my life, I heard on the radio that John Lennon had been assassinated. The two books were V.S. Naipaul’s A Bend in the River and his brother Shiva’s book North of South. I was paying attention to the Bush War in Rhodesia then and read all I could on the transformation of white minority ruled Rhodesia to black majority ruled Zimbabwe. Little did I know at the time that in a couple of years, we would move there and watch as Robert Mugabe imposed one party rule while he enriched himself and ruined his country. Some people leave their mark, but others leave scars.
Two and a half years after moving to the Wood River Valley, where I wore a t-shirt that said “Ketchum? Hell, I can’t even find them,” we moved to Botswana, where I wore a t-shirt that showed an ostrich on skis and said “Ski Botswana.” That was the start of my international humanitarian aid career that lasted until a few years ago.
oh my goodness, I want that Ketchum t-shirt!!! Perfect.
Indeed, some people leave their mark and others leave scars. Most do neither and go unnoticed. But they are the smiles from a passerby and the compliment from a stranger and a kind word from someone in the store and the wave allowing us into traffic that help us get through each day. As Rumi wrote, there are hundreds of ways to kneel and kiss the ground. I could never have done the work you did. And others could never have worked in AIDS as I did. We each do what we can. The little ways as much as the big all add up. We just need to remember it all makes a difference.
hugs, friend. And yes, we are fortunate - we both live in good places!
I’ve been a fan for many years and have most of his books. It’s a shame his younger brother, Shiva, died young because his writing was very promising. He wrote about a train trip he took, called North to South, from Kenya through Tanzania to Zambia, and stopped before he arrived at the Rhodesian border, which was at the time torn apart by a long war for black majority rule
Naipaul took a trip to Kisangani before he wrote A Bend in the River and wrote about it in his journals. I did a textual comparison once and enjoyed finding the descriptions in his journal that became passages in the book. It gave me some insights into how a writer builds a story.
Thank you for sharing your insights. It’s fascinating that you’ve followed his work so closely, and drawn connection from his journals and A Bend in the River. I find the process of how someone transforms real experiences into a creative output is quite interesting too. Kisangani was probably striking then. I am always amazed at how he would take the essence of something and turned it into layered and rich storytelling.
Thank you also for the recommendation. Shiva’s North to South sounds intriguing and it was a loss that he died so young. It would’ve been fascinating if his son had followed in his footsteps. If you have other recommendations let me know. I'm looking forward to reading again soon.
Guerillas and Mimic Men were good. I really enjoyed A Writer’s People and Magic Seeds, but my favorites, after A Bend in the River, are his books about his travels in India, and his Among the Believers and Beyond Belief: Islamic Excursions among a Converted People.
I am fascinated by his exploration of the Indian Diaspora.
Thank you for sharing your favorites—they’ve definitely inspired me to explore more. I read Guerrillas a long time ago, but I was too young to fully process it then. Revisiting it now feels like a great idea, especially since it would be such a different experience. Thanks so much again!
I hope all our desires to do something good for the world or even our communities will come to something. I have to believe they will. Thank you for reminding us.
Everything is energy. Where we direct our thoughts, our time, our energy matters. Maybe the 100th monkey doesn't flip a culture but all 100 monkeys sure can make life better for the others. Thanks for being a believer, Alice.
Lovely. As a new member of my community here in Brown Deer, you inspire me. My husband too just joined the local village board. Here we are. Let’s get to work.
Yay for CJ!! You're a long-time volunteer so you know well that it's all hands on deck! Local politics is not unlike nonprofits: if anyone is involved, the whole family is involved. :) Happy to hear this. Hugs to both of you. xo
Thank you Jan. I remember reading about Mauro Morandi a while back and I think about it often. It always makes me think of the importance of service in one’s happiness—how contributing to something meaningful makes you feel more fulfilled. His life was a beautiful life and thank you for sharing it in your own words.
Ah! I'm glad to hear you already knew about him. Yes, when we chose our own paths, and not those of others or those expected of us, this is when we are happiest. And this is when we are truly serving from our hearts.
It was not easy to figure that out, even when people tell you. Sometimes, it takes time, space and mistakes. But I am happy that you shared this with me and it is definitely freeing once it starts to click.
Thanks for these inspirational stories, Jan, including Tom's. Well...let's see: I write my newsletter on poverty issues and have volunteered for a folk music group for the last 30 years. What a safe space those concerts are!
Thanks for sharing….thats why I marched in the People’s March in Portland, Maine today….wd have to show up.
Yay! Good for you! Thanks for showing up!
Dear Jan, I loved your article. Wherever we are, bring kindness and gratitude to every moment. Wendy
Yes. 🧡
Jan, your words make us think about our purpose, in life and living!
Thank you my friend for raising the value of inner perspective about life.
I am grateful for you! Pat
Thank you, Pat. And I am grateful for you.
Jan, this has made me think of how I can use "Called to Serve..." as a criteria for how I approach career, jobs, relationships and neighbourhoods without sacrificing my happiness and needs.
Thank you
I’m glad to hear. And perhaps music is your service, or a part of it…
Thank you for your service, Tom. And for this excellent post, Jan. Yes, Connection and Service are vital for strong Community!
Not sure if you heard the Surgeon General’s parting prescription for the country? It’s to Prioritize Community through Relationships, Purpose and Service. Tom is doing all three. 🙏👍
Here’s a Dec 22 interview with Surgeon General— it’s a wonderful reminder, particularly in a community that often values outdoor activities, that the work of ensuring respectful, inclusive civic community is at least as important.
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/offline-with-jon-favreau/id1610392666?i=1000681285610
thank you, Liz! And thanks for the link to the the podcast, I'll check it out. And we need to catch up! sometime soon, I hope.
Hi Jan, IFJ had a planning meeting last week and I suggested that invite you to return some Third Thursday at BUFF to share about your blog, and ideas of home in relationship to C.G. Jung. One of the other members will be following up. It would be great to have you present a Salon for us... Thanks for this work! Home will take on a whole new meaning in the season ahead. Best wishes... Kevin
Thank you, Kevin, that is very kind. It would be a joy to see you all again.
Blessings! Jan
Bellevue!
My wife and I spent 6 months at Fairfield after we were married and then we moved to Hailey, completely bypassing Bellevue, although I often worked there. I think I mentioned once before that we lived in a little cabin on River Street that was part of a former brothel. It was close to the bone living, shoveling snow off roofs, working construction, and doing a lot of volunteer work. My wife got a job at Sun Valley Center, or whatever it’s now called, and we made friends with some of the resident artists. (I watched Leni Riefenstahl’s Triumph of the Will there one winter day, and couldn’t stop myself from cheering when Jesse Owens beat the Nazi hordes.)
There were grim things happening then. The ayatollahs took over Iran and took Americans hostage. Fuel prices were over $.60 per gallon. One day, as I left the Hailey library with two books that changed my life, I heard on the radio that John Lennon had been assassinated. The two books were V.S. Naipaul’s A Bend in the River and his brother Shiva’s book North of South. I was paying attention to the Bush War in Rhodesia then and read all I could on the transformation of white minority ruled Rhodesia to black majority ruled Zimbabwe. Little did I know at the time that in a couple of years, we would move there and watch as Robert Mugabe imposed one party rule while he enriched himself and ruined his country. Some people leave their mark, but others leave scars.
Two and a half years after moving to the Wood River Valley, where I wore a t-shirt that said “Ketchum? Hell, I can’t even find them,” we moved to Botswana, where I wore a t-shirt that showed an ostrich on skis and said “Ski Botswana.” That was the start of my international humanitarian aid career that lasted until a few years ago.
Jan, you live in a good place.
oh my goodness, I want that Ketchum t-shirt!!! Perfect.
Indeed, some people leave their mark and others leave scars. Most do neither and go unnoticed. But they are the smiles from a passerby and the compliment from a stranger and a kind word from someone in the store and the wave allowing us into traffic that help us get through each day. As Rumi wrote, there are hundreds of ways to kneel and kiss the ground. I could never have done the work you did. And others could never have worked in AIDS as I did. We each do what we can. The little ways as much as the big all add up. We just need to remember it all makes a difference.
hugs, friend. And yes, we are fortunate - we both live in good places!
Bend in the River is one of my favorite books. It is too bad that Naipaul doesn't get more recognition. A great writer.
I’ve been a fan for many years and have most of his books. It’s a shame his younger brother, Shiva, died young because his writing was very promising. He wrote about a train trip he took, called North to South, from Kenya through Tanzania to Zambia, and stopped before he arrived at the Rhodesian border, which was at the time torn apart by a long war for black majority rule
Naipaul took a trip to Kisangani before he wrote A Bend in the River and wrote about it in his journals. I did a textual comparison once and enjoyed finding the descriptions in his journal that became passages in the book. It gave me some insights into how a writer builds a story.
Thank you for sharing your insights. It’s fascinating that you’ve followed his work so closely, and drawn connection from his journals and A Bend in the River. I find the process of how someone transforms real experiences into a creative output is quite interesting too. Kisangani was probably striking then. I am always amazed at how he would take the essence of something and turned it into layered and rich storytelling.
Thank you also for the recommendation. Shiva’s North to South sounds intriguing and it was a loss that he died so young. It would’ve been fascinating if his son had followed in his footsteps. If you have other recommendations let me know. I'm looking forward to reading again soon.
Guerillas and Mimic Men were good. I really enjoyed A Writer’s People and Magic Seeds, but my favorites, after A Bend in the River, are his books about his travels in India, and his Among the Believers and Beyond Belief: Islamic Excursions among a Converted People.
I am fascinated by his exploration of the Indian Diaspora.
Thank you for sharing your favorites—they’ve definitely inspired me to explore more. I read Guerrillas a long time ago, but I was too young to fully process it then. Revisiting it now feels like a great idea, especially since it would be such a different experience. Thanks so much again!
I hope all our desires to do something good for the world or even our communities will come to something. I have to believe they will. Thank you for reminding us.
Everything is energy. Where we direct our thoughts, our time, our energy matters. Maybe the 100th monkey doesn't flip a culture but all 100 monkeys sure can make life better for the others. Thanks for being a believer, Alice.
Lovely. As a new member of my community here in Brown Deer, you inspire me. My husband too just joined the local village board. Here we are. Let’s get to work.
Yay for CJ!! You're a long-time volunteer so you know well that it's all hands on deck! Local politics is not unlike nonprofits: if anyone is involved, the whole family is involved. :) Happy to hear this. Hugs to both of you. xo
Thank you Jan. I remember reading about Mauro Morandi a while back and I think about it often. It always makes me think of the importance of service in one’s happiness—how contributing to something meaningful makes you feel more fulfilled. His life was a beautiful life and thank you for sharing it in your own words.
Ah! I'm glad to hear you already knew about him. Yes, when we chose our own paths, and not those of others or those expected of us, this is when we are happiest. And this is when we are truly serving from our hearts.
It was not easy to figure that out, even when people tell you. Sometimes, it takes time, space and mistakes. But I am happy that you shared this with me and it is definitely freeing once it starts to click.
Thanks for these inspirational stories, Jan, including Tom's. Well...let's see: I write my newsletter on poverty issues and have volunteered for a folk music group for the last 30 years. What a safe space those concerts are!