Dan Leahy: What he taught me
In 1987, I worked with Dan to put on an organizing school for trade union women. At one of the early events, I taught some classes to the participants on math and using computers. At the closing ceremonies of the event, Dan thanked the organizers and presenters and gave me a compliment that has stuck with me ever since that time. He said that while many people had taught us all a lot of new things, I had helped everyone realize how much they knew already.
Compliments are often embarrassing and inaccurate, but Dan had pointed out to me exactly what I was doing, and I am still doing it 35 years later. I show students – kindergarteners, college students, or seniors – that they can understand algebra and arithmetic; they just have to connect up the confusing world of symbols with what they already know. Beyond the field of mathematics, this is what everyone needs to learn – you know more than you think you do. Dan’s simple comment was enlightening to me and helped me be a better teacher and activist throughout my life.
As Dan and I were working with union members and officers, we were recommending that they consider using the new personal computers and software to help with organizing and union business. When he got a request for computer help from a statewide union, he asked me if I knew anyone who could do this, and after thinking about it for a minute, I decided that it could be me. I started to consult with unions in my spare time, and eventually quit my job and started a business to help unions buy and set up computers. At first, this was done with the assistance of Cascadia Research Collective, then I was joined by Jim Cubbage. This early start has grown into Working Systems Cooperative, a worker-owned co-op corporation of about 20 employees that makes software for international unions, hundreds of locals, and over one million union members all over the US and Canada. Dan flung out one small idea and helped to create something important.
For many years, activists have been receiving numerous postal mailings, and later emails, from Dan publicizing events, giving information, and warning about a variety of evil deeds. Dan was an early adopter of computer technology and I helped him set up mailing list systems over the years. These lists were precious to Dan and all of us have become accustomed to depending on Dan to let us know what is going on in the neighborhood and the wider world.
In 1994, my friend Jan Stentz hosted a baby shower for the birth of my first child. Dan and Bethany were there, and Dan offered me two important bits of wisdom about being a parent:
- You can never anticipate how you will love your child so much.
- You cannot really prepare to be a parent. You won’t know what it will be like and you won’t be ready, no matter how much you try.
I pass this wisdom on now to the reader and have passed this on to everyone I meet who is going to be a parent. #1 is always a wonderful surprise, but most people do not believe me about #2. For myself, I had already carefully prepared for parenting by saving money and attempting to schedule the birth for the summer. Of course it took three or four years before my daughter was born; instead of June it was the dead of winter, the saved money was gone, and the house was being renovated. She had to sleep while tile saws were shrieking, and I was changing diapers on a basement table covered with power tools.
Rule #2 should be extended. First, even if you have already been a parent, you can’t prepare for another child as it will be different. Furthermore, the rule applies to most every venture and organizing effort – you can’t know what it will be like and you need to adapt to the real situation, not your previous plans.
Dan’s influence on all of us has ranged from parenting, neighborhood parks, labor organizing, and education. He is interested in babies and weeding community garden beds as well as organizing unions and neighborhood groups. He is certainly a leader, but the most powerful part of his work has been to inspire and educate others to be leaders as well.
– Steven Kant
