JC

October 7, 1980

I’ve had the pleasure of knowing JC for exactly 3 years. We met in the friendly confines of CoCo coworking space where he was a newish 1 day/week Member, and I was just getting my sea legs running the experimental ship. He struck me as a gentleman right away — quiet, respectful, polite, punctual . . . probably far too good of a person and too well-dressed to be friends with a rude dude like me.

The first conversation I remember having with JC was regarding an objection he had to the language contained in our Membership Agreement. I don’ t remember the exact issue, but I remember being far too casual on the subject while he was adamant he wasn’t signing anything until it was changed. Once I realized how serious he was, we got it changed and he signed off — but a few weeks later he came to let me know he was planning on canceling his Membership anyway.

His reasoning was that he just wasn’t getting much out of CoCo professionally, and was having a hard time justin-fying paying $50 a month. Fortunately (for me, and for all of us who have come to know JC in the years since), I was on my game that day. I’m not sure if I replied in the moment or noodled on it for some hours, but I came back with a, “Of course you’re not getting anything out of it professionally, you have a job that has nothing to do with this place — but what about all that we’ve shared personally?!” And I began to list off the new friendships, plethora of nerds, lunches, laughing, technical support he had freely given a myriad of grateful Members (and loved doing), the inspired room we all shared, such fine coffee, free food & scotch, and all of the potential of what’s to come. He didn’t change his mind immediately but he did take pause, and thanks be to JC, he chose to stay aboard.

And it was in that moment that I came to realize a much deeper truth about this new thing we were calling CoWorking: it was working. It had an effect on people who were searching for new ways of interacting, new spaces to dream in, or new paradigms of thought. It was full of people eager for discovery, knowledge and experience — and they were all around us. They were us. I’m not sure JC knew he was one of us people at the time, but it turned out he was on a path to reinvention and he’s been an inspiration to watch flower.

Back then JC was working for The Man in a valuable capacity, bringing down a good paycheck, and quite secure punching the clock. Eventually, however, the freelancing spirits around him started to bear influential. Assurances were made that he could make a killing on his own and have the freedom to choose work that suited him, rejecting that which did not. JC was gradual and smart about it, and has since gone totally freelance and by all reports is crushing it out of his own campsite at CoCo Uptown.

JC is 9 years and 11 months younger than me, but I will always look up to him for his courage, dress code, beard and work ethic. He’s been permissive of me being me, and I am truly thankful for all of the goodwill, gigantic yet friendly intellect, and can-do positivity he has brought to the CoWorking world. He’s also just a damn good friend and I hope that 34 treats him as well as he deserves (the original JC died when he was 33 — soooo, you got that going for ya).

Cheers to you and yours, JC; you’re ghost the most.