There is much I could share about my memories of Jack, but I'll just keep it to a couple of things. On my bulletin board next to my desk is the following quote, which I copied from one of Jack's e-mails: "An error does not become truth by reason of multiplied propagation, nor does truth become error because nobody will see it." Many times, I have relied on it as a moral compass and inspiration, much as I relied on Jack and his work to guide me. Another memory: in our race equity project presentations, we often use a slide that contains a passage that is entirely intelligible though every word is misspelled to illustrate the point that our brains read words as units and in a context rather than letter by letter. When we first showed the slide to Jack during a presentation, he exclaimed in his Texas drawl, "Hell, that looks like one of my e-mails." The whole room burst out laughing, especially those familiar with the fact that Jack had apparently never heard of spell check.
We'll miss you and will fight on in your memory, Jack.
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Mona, I entirely agree that the best way to honor Jack is to keep fighting in his memory. Not only was he a fighter, not only did he make me laugh, but he continually reminded me to focus on what was most important - the real people that we work for! We will sorely miss him and his infectious energy, humor, and justice.
ReplyDeleteHe wore his life on his face and every time he flashed that toothless grin you knew he embraced every challenge as something to learn from and use to connect with another. I look at the pleadings, the emails, the Barbie paraphanalia, photography and poetry he sent me; I listen to Leon Russell, or see the Virgen de Guadalupe; I see a pair of men’s suede shoes, an outrageous tie or purple socks; and I think of him. I remember the dance competition he won using a cane. I see him in every young advocate he took under his wing and every secretary who corrected his spelling and was happy to do so because they knew it was all about the clients. With his loss we all have a hole in our souls that will go unfilled.
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