pash · en
Boundless enthusiasm; a strong liking or desire for or devotion to some activity, object or concept.

Passion is not a word that should be used lightly. Sometimes it seems like passion is something that is missing from so much of the modern world. I would like to introduce you to three things that I truly feel passionate about: bicycle touring, jazz, and service. I can’t imagine my life without them.

Bicycle Touring

I have toured by bicycle all over the United States and all over
the world. There is no substitute for the sense of accomplishment I always feel after completing a bicycle tour. I have cycled across
the Alps and the Rocky Mountains, along a volcano zone on the
Big Island of Hawaii and snaking through mountain passes in central Costa Rica, through the stark landscapes of southern
Utah and northern New Mexico, around Ireland to a tiny village in West Cork called Allihies that looks across the Atlantic to America, along the Pacific coast highway beginning at Astoria, Oregon and ending at the Golden Gate Bridge, from the ancient city of Krakow to the ski resort town of Zakopane in the Tatra mountains of southern Poland. Ever since my first bicycle tour as a teenager with American Youth Hostels through the Green Mountains of Vermont, I have been hooked on bicycle touring. If I have a passion, this is it.

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The Big Island of Hawaii, 1994

Visit these links to learn more:
Adventure Cycling Association
Hostelling International

Jazz

Because my father loved playing jazz piano, I grew up in a house where jazz was taken very seriously. As children my siblings
and I were steeped in the sounds of what jazz discographer Dick Buckley calls “the good old good ones.” My Dad’s idea of a fun Saturday was listening to his newest Louis Armstrong record or one of the many Benny Goodman records that were part of his
vast collection. I inherited my love of jazz from my father. Although my taste in jazz runs more toward John Coltrane and Keith Jarrett, jazz is jazz. You know it when you hear it.

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My father at the piano.

Learn more about Jazz at:
WBEZ Chicago Public Radio

Service

Throughout my adult life, I have been driven by two simple motives: to work hard and to serve people. Whether it was getting a couple’s wedding bands custom made for them in Ireland and delivered back here in Chicago on short notice or helping underprivileged kids with their homework assignments, my satisfaction has always come from the smile or the handshake that is the reward for serving people well.

One of my most cherished letters comes from a former employee who decided that he needed to devote more time to becoming a writer. After leaving, he took the time to write these words: “Over the past 8 months, you have not only made my experience at The Joy of Ireland a good one, you have made my transition to Chicago much easier. I appreciate the respect you have constantly shown me, and I admire the way you treat your employees. You are one of the hardest working people I have ever met, and your incredible work ethic allows you to lead by example. In my experience, this is a trait that few bosses possess.”

Service is not easily quantified and it can’t be faked.

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Helping Shineka Phillips, age 9, with her math.

Visit these links to learn more:
Jewish Council on Urban Affairs
The Employment Project
Community Development Venture Capital Alliance
Shorebank Corporation