The First Meeting,


Jerry Sealin is a man of much adventure. To start our adventure together we grabbed some sandwiches and coffees from Dunkin. We met Jerry at his home to share a scrumptious meal and talk about our lives for a short time. Jerry was salesman for a big time fastener distributor and had many stories about the many places he has been. As Alrik and I entered his home we found a giving man that seeks to find community through conversation. Jerry Sealin is a kind man with many interesting thoughts. Through our first meeting we have found out that he just wants to hang out and learn about each other. Jerry had many stories to tell us about his life, from his family situation to his ventures across the globe. The most interesting story he shared was about the time he and his sales partner went to Italy and dined at a discrete bar that he believes was tied to the mob. In addition, Alrik and I found out that he is of Swedish decent and spends a lot of time around Andersonville. We spoke about his family ties in Sweden and the crazy story about his parents meeting in America, even though their are both from Sweden. Jerry came from a hard working family and clearly loves them dearly. We have planned our next adventure and it is not what we expected. We will be helping Jerry move furniture out and shop for two new seats for his living room. Alrik and I are excited to see what things Jerry will teach us and how we will expand his knowledge as well.

till next time,

Dylan

Jerry is a first-generation American citizen. His mother and father traveled to America from Sweden at the age of 18, individually. They both ended up in Rockford, IL, met, fell in love, and started a family. Jerry is the oldest of all his siblings. He shared with us that from a young age, he and his brother shared aspirations of being successful businessmen. He soon became a well-known salesman who handled large accounts including General Motors and his brother became a dignified accountant in the city. They both reached their goal by making good money and having nothing to tie them down- the world was theirs. Jerry utilized his time and money by traveling the globe while his brother chose to use it "irresponsibly". He kept reiterating the fact that Dylan and I will soon have more money than sense and that we should be very careful. Without us adding any input, he decided that it is something that we must find out on our own. He added that he can give us all his wisdom and advice about it, but we will still act irrationally and as if we were immortal. He was this same way. When he was in his early 20's, he thought time would stop and that this was life as he now knew it. Unfortunately, the world kept spinning. I believe his general thesis was to stay present and enjoy every moment- do not fight time, embrace it. After talking for about an hour, Jerry called to his roommate to come join us and take our picture. They have been living together for the past 10 years and seem to have a real bond with one another. After about 70 attempts at the right picture, I think we got it. Looking forward to this Thursday.

Alrik