July 22nd 2013
So this is my second Op-Ed since I had the superego knocked out of me (more on this in my next attempt). I guess I felt compelled to write again after attending the funeral of a very dear colleague who, in my humble estimation, left us far too early.
Dr. Greg Jackson was a Mensch: plain and simple! He was extremely knowledgeable about his subject matter and never missed the opportunity to enlighten students and colleagues alike about what career counseling was all about; he was proud of his English teacher background at Hamilton H.S.; and, he had a lightning fast, razor-sharp wit, which he deployed whenever the mood struck him. Today I learned that he used his classroom to store food for the Black Panthers back in 1970 – which only increased my admiration for him.
A number of folks went up to the altar to render their personal testimonials regarding Greg: and they were all powerful in varying degrees. The only one I would have cut short was that of the minister – which was delivered as a sermon/eulogy and made me remember why I haven’t wanted to attend church (with the exception of weddings and funerals) for-the-past-40- years. This guy was all-over-the-map; and, when he decided to follow on Obama’s coattails by suggesting that Dr. G could have been Trayvon Martin – I bolted from the church.
I was thinking that if I had taken the opportunity to deliver a eulogy – I would have said something along the following lines:
Greg Jackson spoke to my class each semester that I taught it over-the-past-12-years and always enthralled my students – even when it became clear that his health was failing. He last presented in April 2013 and gave perhaps his best lesson ever. When he finished, I asked him if he wanted to rest for a bit and if he needed a ride home. He replied, “No,” and that he would be fine. When he left the room, I told my class that they were very fortunate to have met him and “heard” him – because I doubted he would ever lecture again. They seemed to understand that a dying man had walked into the sunset before their very eyes.
Not only was Greg a life-long learner, but he was also a dynamic teacher, and, I always learned something new in each-of-the-16-or-so lectures he delivered to my classes. Two of his teachings nearest and dearest to my heart are: to ask the right questions of your clients; and, that Americans define themselves by the “job” they hold – whereas non-Americans use their work to define themselves.
Marriage and family therapists definitely “put a bug” up Greg’s posterior – and I never had the courage to ask him about this particular intolerance (although they tend to put ‘a bug up mine’ as well). I finally convinced him that I had actually stopped being a practitioner in 1998 – so he eased up on me (a little). When I complimented him on his success in the White Man’s World – he wanted to share materials that concerned his father, with me. I never got them – but perhaps Jay (his wife) will know what he was talking about. I now dread the upcoming semesters where Dr. J won’t be electrifying my classes by regaling them with everything one needs to know about career counseling. I also lost an important tributary to the African American experience.
I remain honored and humbled to have known you Big G – albeit in your shortened, life…I fully expect you to tell God how to do that job properly.
Epilogue:
For-a-year-and-a-half I tried to get department members to be as concerned about Greg as I was; after all, we are a counseling program…but no one seemed that concerned – until it was too late…and then, they literally gave him a posthumous award…