To the Eye of an Owl
From the Heart of a Brother

     I am here to honor a man I knew who exhibited an impeccable work ethic, who developed the most amazing and articulate mind I have ever met, and whose compassionate spirit constantly reached out to comfort others, even in the throes of his own death.

     But first, let me quote our president.

     "Dear Jim: "Your Senators and Congressman …have told me about the medical challenges you have been facing in recent months …and shared some great stories about you, including how you devised a state-of-the-art computer program for our North Dakota Democrats - one that became a prototype for the Get Out the Vote efforts in other states. I…wanted to … let you know that Hillary and I are thinking about you (and that) you are in my thoughts and prayers as you face this difficult time. Bill Clinton."

Jim was my brother, Jim is my brother, Jim will always be my brother. In his letter to Jim, President Clinton alludes to the many times during a campaign that Jim would have a phone hooked by the side of his bed at night, always on call, when and if those computers went down. Let me tell you, computers do crash, just like drunk drivers at night, careening off their data pathways with the speed of light. My brother would rush across town at two or three in the morning, tending those babies of his just as if they were colicky kids regurgitating some goulash of bits and bytes he'd so carefully spoon-fed them the previous day, regurgitating it right into his once peaceful night. Often, dawn would find my brother sleeping next to them, making sure they were all right. People counted on Jim. Amongst his closest friends and associates, were U.S. Senators Kent Conrad and Byron Dorgan and U.S. House of Representative Earl Palmoroy. Whether they lived in his basement at one time, or shared a dorm with him in college, or depended upon his computer programs to run the wheels of their campaigns, each benefited from his keen mind and ability to ask questions which were always way out ahead of his times.

     Now understand, my brother wasn't a politician. Oh, politics drove his blood, but he had a drive to understand the truth of things that would never have allowed him to give speech # 1, at 10AM, praising local pork, then in town #2, summon up the "trimming the fat" talk. Jim understood the devil politicians had to dance with to get elected, just as he believed in the righteous causes upon which he and his friends staked their lives. It was this mind of his I loved the most about Jim. When I was still a child he would drive my parents mad, posing questions in religious, social and political arenas, that to them, were way out of bounds. It wasn't whether he was right or wrong that impressed me, it was his ability to delve into the very depths of areas most people skimmed over in their lives. Who are we, what are our potentials, how close to the ultimate truth of things can we come by studying ourselves, our world and our traditions. This is what lit Jim's soul on fire. This is what I treasure the most in him.

     But a mind without a heart is always a sad affair. Even with death charging in on him and stumbling from his own chemotherapy, Jim constantly reached out to other cancer victims, constantly calling them to give them encouragement, and even driving people to the hospital for treatments, when he himself was still nauseous. When he died, his friend's wrapped the entire Kennedy Center Building in Bismarck in black as a moving tribute to him and as an expression of the depth of their loss and sorrow. But it is with a translucent and shimmering light I often remember Jim. This is the way he appeared to me in a dream awhile after his death. He came, sat beside me and said most earnestly, in a voice only Jim could, "This time, I'm going to make it all the way", then he began to laugh so hard I was afraid he was going to die, (remember this was a dream), and then, there he was in my arms, his body now lifeless and quiet, yet I could feel his spirit soaring like a triumphant owl, high, high above.
    Jim, thank you for setting such a fine example of what one person can accomplish in one's allotted life span. You did this by your diligent work, your searching mind, and your brotherly, compassionate heart. I both miss you and carry you forward with me constantly. In your last Christmas card you alluded to Jesus' greatest gift. "My peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you." As you stated the Christmas season "really comes down to Peace as opposed to fear and agitation…that the ability to (achieve?) peace is absolutely essential to anything that goes "beyond what meets the eye".

Gary Lange © copyright