James McCormick Tolmach – 50th Reunion Essay

James McCormick Tolmach

1369 Miller Avenue NE

Atlanta, GA 30307

jimtolmach@icloud.com

404-294-5194

Spouse(s): Sarah W. Ferguson (1980)

Child(ren): Elizabeth (1983); Rebecca (1986)

Career: Designed and built wooden furniture in Atlanta for 44 years

Avocations: Cooking and eating, worshipping and playing with Atlanta Friends Meeting

College: Saybrook

My life so far has been quite fortunate, with few regrets and a balance of joy and sorrow, struggle and ease. I did stumble off the starting blocks, having poorly prepared myself for the level of skill, experience, and competitiveness I met at Yale. But I recovered to enjoy a lot of Yale’s light and truth. Starting with Kessen’s Psychology 10, I was drawn into a deeper understanding of the people around me as well as myself. Though my family introduced me to music, my appreciation of it flourished while in New Haven. I was challenged in Joan Panetti’s music theory class, got to hear Vladimir Horowitz at Woolsey Hall, fell in love to the music of The Morning, and saw Joni Mitchell in a basement folk club before she released her first album.

I graduated in 1969 along with most of our class, planning to be a draft-deferred school teacher. After little preparation or classwork, I found myself teaching third graders at a school in Anacostia, across the river from the Capitol. The kids were smart and quickly figured out how to control the classroom; I was out of there in two months. I applied for and received conscientious objector status, performing my alternative service at two agencies in the District of Columbia. Living in Washington during “historic times” was interesting, though my work left me frustrated at times, having to express myself by writing memos and collecting data.

I tried my next experiment in living by moving to Atlanta in 1974 and converting my woodworking hobby into a trade. That has worked for me. I am just now retiring, closing handmade furniture and disposing of many of my tools. It has been a continuing challenge to find clients, to design, build and finish the furniture, and to pay the bills. Happily, I like challenges and am proud of my work.

I am even prouder of my family. I met Sally Ferguson in 1979 and quickly realized she was The One. We have two wonderful daughters in their thirties, who continue to surprise us with their competence, empathy, and laughter. We also had two sons who died at birth, an experience that ties us to much of the rest of humankind. In retirement, we plan to maintain our home in Atlanta, while traveling more, contributing time to our church, and finding new ways to exercise our bodies and minds.