I’m a huge fan of the Beat Generation writers, specifically Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsburg, and Lawrence Ferlinghetti. I’m taking some inspiration from them with today’s post because, let’s be honest, I’m not sticking to any particular form with these 🙂 In a rambling, preposition-obsessed fashion, here are the people who I saw (or will see) as support folks this week . . .
Eden and Ian, who came over to play our new game and loved it (Eden, who won), who were wonderful to spend a quiet evening with, just them and me and Jenn, who brought us dinner, who are on the trip this weekend that Jenn and I organized (and had to step out of) with 15 of our friends in a cabin in Blue Ridge, GA, whom I am jealous of for that, who continue to grow a relationship that is beautiful to see and fun to be a small part of.
Andy Fams, who shared a health challenge that he’d had last month, who I only see once every couple of years because he lives in Philly, who I can now share in the brotherhood of fathers with because of his 5 year old, who told stories about what it’s like to work in a union shop up in PA (spoiler alert: not perfect, but better).
Brennan, who brought us a game (Tortuga 1667), who looked like a beautiful mountain man, who told stories of shifting departments and leadership at GSU, who is taking a trip with our friend Joe to Mexico City next week that sounds like it will be really fun.
JJ, a KSU colleague who is always reading interesting things and recommended the new book Race and the Cosmos, who I bonded with over Emergent Strategies last year, who has an amazing partner (also Jenn’s co-worker) who is recovering from COVID, who is connected in to all the activist networks that I like at work and in the Atlanta area.
Hbomb, who is also connected in to all those networks and is my co-chair in the faculty advocacy unit in our college, who does more networking, faculty advocacy, and labor organizing on campus before 10am than a lot of us do all week, whom I love to share music and books with and to argue and overthink things with, who somehow remembers everything that’s happening on our campus and who is in charge of what, who believes in an equitable wages and late night dance parties.
Sig, who, along with JJ, is a great organizer and connector of activists in the Atlanta area, who took a remarking and brave trip to Palestine this year, who taught me to structure volunteer help during an illness, who just had a book come out this week, who is always smiling and introducing me to new ways to resist bad things.
Micah, my youngest, who came by the hospital to see me yesterday, who is brimming with life and energy and new things, who listens to 70s rock and JPop and 90s RnB one right after the other pointing to the radio saying “you’ve heard this right?”, who might to go Shaky Knees with us in the fall, who has never met a challenge he won’t critically consider, who hosts on the GSU radio station, who parks cars amazingly well, who wants to learn how to fix them, who had three exams this week, who knows the city, at this point, the back of his hand, and who showed up at just the right time this week to perk me up out of a chemotherapy fog.
Lara, whom I will see later today as my ride to treatment, who teaches with me at KSU and whom I’ve known as a friend and colleague for 15 years, who has faced difficult challenges with grace and strength (and has supported me through some of those as well), who is a natural leader to her colleagues, who listens well and gives accurate advice, who is more organized than most people that I know, who is not afraid to sometimes to terrifyingly honest, and who is intelligently picky about who she lets get close (a trait I love and share).
Andy P and Roxanne, my KSU colleagues, who will be bringing dinner to my family tonight, who throw famously welcoming parties at their houses for all the activist faculty, Andy, who taught me, without a doubt, the meaning and practice of “shared governance” at KSU, Roxanne, who draws people to her with energy and humor, both of them always paying attention to the shifting tide of information and choosing, over and over again, the just and equitable way to be a scholar and a teacher and an academic community member, who serve as a hub and comfort to others, and who volunteered to bring a gourmet meal all the way from the suburbs of Atlanta to the middle of the city.
Jacob, Jenn’s son, who is curious and conscientious, who understands and pays attention to other people’s needs, who has courageously navigated his academic journey, who knows everything that’s happening in all the sports and every statistic that can be used to measure them, who is a ruthlessly good game player, and who has made committing to these family dinners during my treatment an important community building priority.
Noah, my oldest, who carries an enormous amount of awareness about people quietly but right behind his eyes, who is brave and kind and sober and intentional in everything that he does, who has seen a lot, who is an apprenticing electrician, who loves the books of Frank Herbert and Stephen King and Phillip K. Dick, who loves all good films but especially those by David Lynch, and David Fincher, and Michael Man and Ridley Scott, who gives hugs that you do not forget the meaning of, who laughs sometimes in a way that is immediately infectious, who is improving his Spanish at work, and who takes very specific and earned pride in his work ethic.
My parents who stayed with me overnight Wednesday so that they could take me without stress and on time to my early chemo appointment on Thursday. My dad, who spent a whole day reading James the day before coming so that we could talk about it, who quietly either enjoys or endures everyone around him talking, who taught me the value of honoring and thanking the work of people around you, especially the ones who might not usually get noticed, who sometimes seems lost in thought and I wonder what it’s about. My mom, who taught me the love of a good story — whether dramatic or salacious — and relishes in its telling, who wants to know everything about you all at once and tell you everything at the same time, who has a voracious curiosity, who is excited about her new multi-generational book club that keeps surprising her and teaching her new things, who loves Saturday Night Live, who drove me excellently and safely through the city.
And Jenn, who made the courageous decision to relocate to my house during my treatment, who has an infinite passion for students and how to best serve them, who rarely runs out of energy, who makes delicious and colorful salads (I wish I could still eat them, but it’s still nice to see them), who has raised amazing and interesting and kind kids, who demonstrates patience with other people’s challenges, who is a natural organizing hub and connector, who is the best concert partner, who loves the sun and long walks, who has made yoga a committed part of her practice of life, who is finishing her dissertation in the summer and who has taught me many things about student activism, who loves a spreadsheet, who understands partnership, who lets me be me, who loves Kristy Lee and “watching” a TV show while doing 20 chores at home, who finds it hard to sit still, and who is loving me through a difficult time.
*****
That’s a lot of people, right? I’m very grateful for all of them and the many others who are texting, showing up, and signing up to help me right now. Thank you, y’all.
