When I moved to Sitka, Sarah asked if I had seen the little old lady riding her bike.
The first time I saw Alice, she wore a bold combination of red and yellow with her grey hair blowing around in the wind and rain. I thought she was so cute, riding her cruiser every day back and forth between Sawmill Creek Road and downtown Sitka.
Then I saw her volunteering at a local thrift shop – flitting around asserting her presence, bargaining with customers and contradicting her co-volunteers.
Next I heard her weekly show on Sitka’s public radio station. She played an accordion, and she grew in my mind from cute to remarkable.
This spring, some friends moved into a house facing Jamestown Bay, and I learned where Alice parked her bike. At a dock near the highway, she switched vehicles and rowed a small boat across the bay to her home on an island. Rare was a day too rough, too iced over or too rainy for her to make her round trip from home to town.
I heard her bike was stolen this past year. Concerned citizens pooled their resources and replaced her bike to which Alice replied, “I don’t want a new bike; I want my bike.” Word spread through town, and her bike soon reappeared in its rightful location.
Saturday afternoon I saw Alice near her dock. I waved hello, and she gave me a grin and a double thumbs up.
Saturday evening Alice Machesney died playing her accordion for residents of the local retirement home. She was 83.
I did not know Alice well, but I loved knowing she was here, bucking limitations and doing whatever the hell she wanted. I could say, “Rest in peace,” but seeing the energy and vigor she poured into every day, I doubt there will be much resting. I can say Sitka won’t feel the same without Alice. She will be missed.
(Photo: Adam Crawford)
My sympathy for your loss and my gratitude that people like Alice have walked the earth before us to make way for the life that you and I live more boldly because of their verve.
What an amazing story. Seeing that picture of her, rowing her boat, amazes me. Knowing that this woman continued her routine, at her age, through the nasty Alaska weather, is awe-inspiring. And the accordion! I’m glad she went out doing something she loved. I wish you would have known her well, as she is certainly someone inspiring enough to become a character in a story. Thank you for sharing this, as it has made me think of the bold men and women in this world, and sometimes I forget about them. Have a great weekend.
Serena: Amen.
Jules: I think the word inspiration is overused often but not in reference to Alice and those singular few who consistently remind us how much potential a day holds. Weekend cheers to you too!