JACQUI’S VIEW

“Since the dawning of the second millennium, Blair and I have reaped rich rewards by following the paths that unfold before us. Backroads have turned golden and the woods buzz with tales to be told. Barriers of language and borders dissolve before our eyes. 

What began as a quest to better know our favorite places has become a bonanza of amazements. Once we saw Celtic ruins beneath the Roman, our vision expanded to see an entire civilization. You see it once you know it’s there, even disguised by fictions and deceptions.

The gap between what we read and saw in history had just grown too wide and pushed us back into prehistory. At least then we could have a clearer view, without so many overlays of distorted stories. Our frequenting of archaeological sites and taking of post-Iron Age reporting with oversized grains of salt - both grew de rigueur. 

At that point, science joined law and language as a factor in our search, and that science component belongs mainly to Blair. My approach is to devise a theory and then test it. When we realized that our finds were linking the two of us in ways we could never have dreamed possible, Blair plunged into the pursuit with both feet and has brought his stores of scientific knowledge with him.

For me, writing books became a passion as the means to return to my favorite status, that of eternal scholar. As we went from Lake Michigan to Slovenia to France, doors cracked open. For Lake Michigan it was the chance to present to the University Club in Chicago; in Slovenia, I worked with editor Senja Požar at the country’s biggest publisher/bookseller, Mladinska knjiga; for my two books on France, my German publisher Alex Menges taught me photography.

You might wonder - why Lake Michigan, Slovenia and France in the first place?  A visceral attachment to Lake Michigan is my Mom’s legacy to me.  Slovenia is my grandparents’ gift to me because it was their homeland. The beauty of the language and literature drew me to France at first; increasingly we appreciate how much Francia has defended Europe’s freedom all along.

Blair’s heritage led us to travel to Scotland decades ago, and that too showed us threads of familiar fabric. Both of us have law degrees from Stanford, so we gravitate to issues like the origin of British, Roman and American law, and the history of enforcement. Our studies have been aided too by the conversance I have gained with language – with degrees in French and German, by formal studies in Greece, Germany and Slovenia, as well as independent scholarship all over Europe - especially now that we have more time to explore.

So, what prompted the more recent forays into filming?  Once again, the entryway opened and we have gratefully stepped in. Our contractor-turned videographer friend Peter Brown has mentored us as he gained expertise in filmmaking. His construction and design background fit perfectly with our Celtic lens.

Peter gave us a list of equipment to buy, since, as in construction, you have to have the tools of the trade to do the work. Technological advancements have made our work possible at all, both to document and present our findings. Digital photography and movies, archaeological imaging and dating, high speed and capacity computers with user-friendly programs, the global positioning system – these are the starting points. 

Friendships like this, forged in shared interests as they are, prove invaluable to us.  Addressing imbalance, in particular, seems to bring motivated people together.  The nonprofit East Palo Alto Kids Foundation, which I co-founded and ran with a cross-section of phenomenal people, still unites us with extraordinary, impassioned advocates for equality in education. 

How improbable is it to walk into a hair salon in East Palo Alto and find the United Nations!  Faye Brown and her sister Erma networked with everyone who came through the door – and everyone adored them. EPAK became showtime because in their family everyone performed for each other at holiday gatherings. Fantastic times!

Our digs into Europe’s past have also brought a treasury of contacts.  Knowing that we all trace back to a family in Africa melds yesterday into today – right back to Mom and Dad. And what can be better than being cousins!

Here’s where EPAK meets Lexicus because Remy Steiner’s mother Judy served on the board for years, while also acting as the nonprofit Hidden Villa’s executive officer.  Besides being a joy to work with, Remy adds the elegance of her design to books, websites, and films. Her Central European heritage and knowledge of art history yield depth and insight - from layout to font choice - and her facility with the internet inspires my awe.

The wealth of friends who share knowledge, give input and information; Stanford Libraries that provided resources and gave a book launching; the Palo Alto University Rotary Club that has welcomed our presentations – these riches stoke our efforts. Open-source search engines and encyclopedias enable us to craft itineraries that pinpoint ancient sites. From England’s Mitton to Hungary’s Sopron, we have been received with warmth and hospitality that shine like gems in our memories.

As our friend and journalist said in his article for “Free Craic: Citizens Report American Irish Culture,” Danahey on the Loose, Reading about Celtic Women, “Curiosity may have killed the cat, but Jacqueline Widmar Stewart has found being inquisitive – and writing about her explorations – is a fine way to spend her Modern Maturity years.” Gulp. Better uncork the next bottle of champagne.