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Jane Goodall, Gibbons, and A Little Girl’s Dream.

Many people ask me how I got into studying gibbons for a living, and quite honestly there is no direct answer to that question, because it wasn’t a direct route. When I was growing up in Burlington, I wanted to be many things: first on the list (so I’m told by my parents) was a “ballerina hockey player” but that’s too far back for me to even remember saying, and I don’t really dance or skate these days so that was probably a bit of a stretch.

One clear target that I do know from as far back as I can remember is that I always wanted to get my PhD. By the time I was about 4 or 5 years old, I had firmly established in my mind that I wanted to be called “Dr. Prime” when I grew up because that’s my Dad’s name (he has a PhD in chemistry), and I wanted to be like my Dad. So from the moment I first started school until this very day, that destination has always firmly held the course, and thus likely guided the navigation parameters since then.

The rest of the story follows with many sentences that start off with “I was lucky enough to have/get…” and end with “…so I took that opportunity and just went with it.”

Since the time I announced that I was going to become a primatologist and left home 9 years ago to start this path, Jane Goodall’s name and story has been a fundamental element woven into my journey. People don’t always know what Primatology is, but they do know who Jane Goodall is. And it seems no matter who you tell (outside of Primatology) that you study monkeys and apes for a living, around the world the immediate response is “Oh, like Jane Goodall.” For a while, that even became the go-to clarification for when family and friends tried to explain what I do and people’s faces started to become somewhat perplexed: “She wants to be like Jane Goodall.” (Aah, I see now.)

Perhaps it’s somewhat pejorative to fuss over semantics but to be honest my objective has never been to be like Jane Goodall, it has always been to make my own place beside her.

I know I sat in the Burlington Performing Arts Centre for the BG EcoAwards last night with a completely different perspective than anyone else in the theatre. And as Jane wowed the crowd with her famous chimpanzee greeting call and the narrative of her life story intertwined with her message of hope for the future and the success of her work with JGI thus far - all familiar stories to me, all familiar issues, and all familiar experiences, I thought about how hard it all is. How everyday is a struggle and a reward all rolled into one. How Primatology looks so great and adventurous in pictures (and it is), but it’s also a lonely treacherous and thorny route to take.

After the presentation, a crowd formed in the main lobby for the book signing, I was ushered into the designated media room with a few journalists and photographers, a ridiculous uneasiness overtook me as I glanced at the set up of the room. A few chairs (~10) were set up across from a table with water glasses and 3 more chairs. This was an odd experience, certainly not a scientific conference. There was no time to chat about primates. Then Jane walked in with her people who explained there were only a few minutes for questions, and David from Burlington Beat.ca moved towards her to introduce me.

It’s overwhelming to be standing in a room with a bunch of strangers while experiencing some very personal emotions. Here I was in my hometown, my Dad had accompanied me to the event, and here I stood in these serendipitous circumstances about to be introduced to the woman who’s pictures in National Geographic magazines I once admired as a little girl while thinking to myself “I could do that!”

I wanted to talk to Jane about gibbons. But no one else in the media room cared about that.

My emotions got the best of me, and the rest is pretty blurry. We hugged. There were lots of photos taken. Someone asked me to write my name down. I gave Jane a Jackie Prime Project: Gibbon Guardian tote bag from our organization. She handed it to someone else. Soon it was all over and I was back in the lobby with everyone else.

At the end of the entire night, I was the second last person in line for Jane to sign my book. She was clearly extremely exhausted and nearly ready to fall over. They handed her my book and she paused before signing her name.

“If you are ever in Thailand and have time to see the gibbons,” I said, “I will take you to them.”

She perked up a little bit and looked up at me with what almost seemed like envy and longing.
“Ohhhhh,” she quietly exclaimed, “wouldn’t that be wonderful.”

I smiled, “It would be wonderful. I want to introduce them to you. Please, anytime, just contact me.” She smiled weakly but with immense sincerity and I took my book.

And that will be the moment I most cherish from meeting this iconic woman who has made a dramatic impact on the world and Primatology and changed the way we think about humankind. Because in that brief instant the link we share reverberated clearly: we both know what it’s like to be at home in the forest with the apes, and we both know that life is most vibrant in the jungle.

 







“It's not about how to achieve your dreams, it's about how to lead your life, ... If you lead your life the right way, the karma will take care of itself, the dreams will come to you.”
Randy Pausch, The Last Lecture


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Very special Thanks to Burlington Green and the Jane Goodall Institute of Canada for hosting last night, it was a great event.

And an extra special THANK YOU to BURLINGTON BEAT.ca for introducing me to some wonderful people in Burlington: Mayor, Rick Goldring, and Burlington Public Library CEO, Maureen Barry, and for working behinds the scenes to set things up for me to specially meet Dr. Goodall!!

Comments

Tracy said…
Read your blog Jackie, and it IS a good one! I met Jane Goodall a few years ago when she came to the Anthropology department at McMaster. I will remember that, and her, until the day I die. She is truly one of the most profoundly special people on the planet.
Vicki said…
That is SO SOO COOL!!! How often does this happen to anyone? Jackie you are so lucky! Can I see these pics anywhere? I want to hear the entire story when we get together.
Heather said…
Great post Jackie!
Jamie said…
Great post, Jackie! I'm so glad that you got to meet her :)
Dave said…
Congrats Jackie

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