🚴 August 2017 Newsletter

The meeting of remarkable people: Living Life to the Fullest

“I believe that on life’s challenging journey all of us are trying to figure out our direction and purpose. We yearn to find our “true selves” and to believe that we are here on Earth for a reason. If we are lucky, we may be inspired by individuals we meet on the journey who have found their own pathway and encourage us to do the same.” …Irene

“I met Johnny Jones at his 90^th birthday party when I was just 21. A friend of mine was teaching him to play the guitar and I accompanied her to a couple of the lessons. Besides wanting to learn a new instrument, Johnny had constructed himself a simple hand-built house out of concrete, drank coffee so strong that the spoon could almost stand up in the cup, laughed well and often, and bought retired race horses, often training them to become jumpers. He died a few years later when he was catapulted off such a jumper. What a way to go, doing exactly what he loved in life.” …PamC

“Some years ago, I was fortunate to meet, Mary Lou Slaughter. After a childhood of intentional denial of her heritage, she discovered that she is the great, great, great, great granddaughter of Chief Sealth, for whom Seattle is named. Later in life Mary Lou apprenticed with a Duwamish weaver and became a master Salish weaver herself. She is an advocate for Indian rights and culture and today her work is shown and sold in museums and galleries across the country. Meeting Mary Lou at her home in Port Orchard was a reminder to me that we can change the course of our lives to work on becoming our true selves.” ...Irene

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed it's the only thing that ever has."

“These are the words of Margaret Mead -- a woman who inspired many people, including me. I met her at the Smithsonian Institution, a year before she died, while I was in the Office of Museum Programs. By that time in her life she was gray-haired and carried her distinctive wooden staff and wore her signature woolen cape. To me, a young woman raised in the '50s and '60s in the Midwest, she was exotic. Eventually, I too got a Master’s Degree in Museum Studies and became a museum curator and director.
When I met her, my expectations were exceeded. She was gracious, inquisitive, and humble. I hope to follow her graciousness into my old age.” …Jeanette

“A Swiss gentleman, Louis Ulrich, who was about 30 years my senior, was well known in the Yakima area as a hiker and mountain climber. The Ulrich Couloir on Mt. Stuart was named after him. When he was young, only a few people would hike or climb with him because he would leave them in his dust. When he was older, I would often go with him because he had slowed enough for me to keep up. He loved to sunbathe on every mountain top where we would enjoy mountain views while we paused for lunch. Louis was a beautiful man, always drinking in the splenders of nature’s beauty. He was fond of quoting the poet and mystic, Rabindranath Tagore. Louis, I think, did not believe there was a God, so it is interesting that Tagore, who believed in the unity of all things in God was so prized by him.” …Phyllis

“You only go around once; live and grab the gusto while you can” …Anonymous