Growing Space for Jack
Ready for New Opportunities
lurii Malaschenko photo -
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Listen to Jack’s story as you read it (below).
"Why does your tree do so well?" Liz, Sam Jansen's administrative assistant, asked as she helped Jack pack the last of his books into banker's boxes.
Jack’s weeping fig tree was thriving. Its thick, dark green leaves filled one corner of his office, a familiar presence for 17 years. He often rotated it to keep its branches from encroaching on visitors sitting by the window.
"The secret is in the rocks," Jack confided. "And a big enough pot. The roots need growing space."
He had purchased the small fig tree from a local shop when Sam became president back in 1977. It seemed so tiny then. But his mom, a lifelong gardener, had come over one evening and repotted it, adding a layer of white rocks to the bottom of a pot Jack thought was oversized. It had taken three bags of soil,after all, to fill the pot.
"And you haven't done anything since?" Liz asked.
"Not really," Jack replied. "Just added soil now and then, watered it, and turned it for the sun."
It was March 31, 1994, Jack’s “retirement day” as vice president for corporate communication, after working 28 years for the organization. He felt no sadness, only anticipation for building his second career, a space for new growth.
Jack had considered moving the fig tree to the home he and his wife, Rose, built in 1985, but it was now six feet tall with a five-foot span. It seemed right here, a daily reminder of who he was.
His parents were dairy farmers, part of the cooperative’s history. His mom had not only managed the farm but also nurtured her children, instilling self-confidence, giving them their own growing space. "You make us proud," she would say to each one individually.
In college, Jack wrote about her parenting, how she made each child feel special, recognizing his or her unique qualities. Yet, she knew setbacks would test that confidence.
She was particularly concerned about Jack’s spina bifida. "Never be reluctant about a nursing home when the time comes," she cautioned, a future he could not then imagine.
Later, his dad worried about Jack managing as he aged – the extra limitations that could accompany his existing challenges. It took time, but Jack eventually admitted his parents had reason for concern because he wasn’t always prepared for new hurdles.
As a child, he would cry boarding the bus to orthopedic school. At 13, he dreaded returning home to the unknowns of a “regular” high school. He cried again at eighteen, feeling the pressure of being the first to go to college, fearing the challenges of a big campus.
Would he maintain his self-esteem facing rejection? Would his self-image lead to new opportunities or just disappointment?
"The growth of a tree under the shade of another is stifled; to reach your full growth you must grow under your own sun." ― Bangambiki Habyarimana
"Sam can have the tree," Jack finally told Liz, glancing at Sam’s struggling fig treenext door.
"He'll appreciate it," Liz agreed. "His tree looks awful."
It felt right, Jack thought. Sam’s east and south-facing office would give the tree the sun it needed, welcoming both farmers and businesspeople. A fitting legacy as he walked through the executive wing one last time. The tree was established, its roots well-drained.
But, for Jack, 1994 was time for a new tree, a new path.
Now, at 82, Jack looks back on a fulfilling second career, 17 years publishing 14 books about disability awareness and disability employment. And, in his third career, he had found a new purpose: using his experience to help others navigate the potential limitations of aging.
Jack’s takeaway tip: Watch for the right time to seek more growing space.
Here’s to mature-adult living!
Jim Hasse, ABC, GCDF retired, author of “52 Shades of Graying”
Weekly Stories About Aging Well
Accolade: “Jim, I absolutely love reading your stories. You never disappoint …” - Mary K.
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There were several pivotal shifts in my career after completing my undergraduate work. When my husband and I first moved to the TC from Fargo, ND I had difficulties finding a job given the few professional jobs open to women. My first Metro job was placing chauffeurs, butlers, and maids with the wealthy. Within months I was able to obtain a position teaching ex-offenders how to interview for jobs - which evolved into a counselor/ instructor position at a vocational school for low income adults. IBM donated staff and equipment to open an IBM computer training center at that vocational school. With the emotional support of the IBM program director, I left social services and moved into the corporate world. Something I never thought possible. Along the way, I was supported by people in power who believed in me - and helped me believe in myself.
I was torn between taking a workshop on Tuesday and Thursday night about Netscape on the University of Wisconsin campus in Madison and taking a five-day vacation that same week in Door County Wisconsin.
I ended up doing both, and that was pivotal in my career.
It was 1995, and the World Wide Web was new, enticing but confusing and clunky. But, from its primitive beginnings, Netscape gave me a glimpse into the future those two spring nights 29 years ago.
I saw the potential for bringing people together – particularly people on the margins of society (those with disabilities, our elders etc.) who for so long had been isolated from one another and from mainstream society due to location and attitude.
As a result of that two-night workshop about Netscape, I ended up collecting about 1,000 stories from people with disabilities through a website, tell-us-your-story.com, between 1997 and 1999 – a couple of years before blogging became popular.
That work gave me the experience to land a job in New York City, where I worked remotely from Wisconsin (before Zoom) for 10 years as senior content developer for eSight Careers Network.
Yes, I drove more than two hours to Madison from Door County and then another two hours back to my Door County vacation to attend those two workshops at the University of Wisconsin - Madison in 1995. Long days but well worth it.
I now wonder what I’m missing big time by skipping this or that workshop about artificial intelligence.
* What decisive step in your career allowed you to further grow into the individual you were meant to be?