Week 2,

Our plans of going furniture shopping did not work out as planned. Jerry did not want to venture out into the cold if he didn't absolutely need to. Even though we just hung out at Jerry's house we shared a lot about ourselves this week. Jerry had many more interesting stories to share with us. One that I found intriguing was the time he spent at Woodstock. I love music so I had to know who he went to see. I soon learned that Jerry was there about four days and say Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, The Rolling Stones... and so many more. They way he spoke about it was a similar way that I would speak about lollapalooza. As we continued our conversation, it moved towards literature and art. Jerry has many relief prints throughout his home which I told him was my girlfriends main medium. So Jerry, Alrik, and I went through Cari's art. Jerry loved it and I told Cari that he was interested, she has asked me to give him a piece of her art to have. I know Jerry will be excited for this. After we went through her art, Alrik and I went through our pictures from Istanbul and told Jerry about all the things we had seen. Specifically, we shoed Jerry a video of a riot that we caught in. He laughed about it and said that he was sure that was an "experience". This week we spent a little more time with Jerry's partner Jeff and learned about his love for singing and that he used to participate in the Windy City Men's Gay Choir. Jerry and Jeff plan to go to the next show when they are able. As for the week after spring break, we plan to go to Tre Kroner to grab some Swedish American food with our old Sweed.

Till Next Week,

Dylan

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

Week 1

WEEK 1

Jerry Sealin is quite the character. Although Alrik and I have not met him yet he was extremely excited to speak with us on the phone and set up our first meeting! As we had Jerry on speaker, which might of played a factor in why he called Alrik, "OHLRIG" he was glad to meet us. As we tried to figure out what schedule best suits the group Jerry was very adaptable. I could clearly see that he really values Little Brothers and does not want to miss out on hanging out with us. As we listened to his current medical situation, we knew he was not to happy about going to see the doctor. Alrik and I asked if there was anything we could do and thoroughly explained that we are willing to do what ever suits him best. Jerry seems like a happy guy that really loves what Little Brothers sets out to accomplish. I am very excited to meet him and learn about his life as we tell him about ours. As for our first meeting Jerry has requested that we bring Dunkin'... apparently he loves it. I am looking forward to sharing stories and establishing the relationship over a cup of coffee next thursday with Jerry and Alrik. 

Until next week,

Dylan 

Week 1

Unfortunately, Dylan and I have not met our elder, Jerry, yet. However, we did have the pleasure of speaking with him on the phone yesterday after class. At first he sounded bewildered, and maybe even a little annoyed, to be receiving a call from a random "Dylan" and some stranger named "Olrog" (as he pronounced). Yet to our surprise, once he discovered it was his new friends from Little Brothers he livened up and became excited immediately. From this point on it was difficult to squeeze a word in between his various stories and updates concerning his medical health. Before this contact was made, I was nervous that it may be difficult to keep a constant conversation going during our home visits and could result in many awkward silences. Now that I am aware of Jerry's super power (small talk/story telling), my fear has disappeared. I apologize for summarizing but I felt that the context was necessary.  On a more serious note, I am beyond excited to be working with Little Brothers and can't wait to learn from Jerry's stories and experiences. This class has given me a new perspective on the elderly and their worth in our society. It is a shame that we take their wisdom and other resources for granted. During this experience, I hope that I can be receptive to and thereby capitalize on Jerry's wisdom. After the experience, I plan to continue seeking advice and wisdom from this particular demographic.

Thanks for reading,

Alrik