‘How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world’ – Anne Frank

Husband Dan and I travel to Tybee Island, Georgia, at least once a year. It is our place to unwind, regenerate, and re-align ourselves with the world. For last week’s trip, we left home around 5:30 a.m., pulling our trusty camper behind us. This trip took two days instead of one; our traditional route, I-40 through North Carolina, was closed due to Hurricane Helene.

The additional driving time gave my restless mind too much time to think. As the hours slid by, despairing thoughts began; concern about my past misdeeds and sorrow over the loss of loved ones, all vied for my attention.  My best self was not on view.

We arrived on the island in time to attend the weekly farmers market. Held at the base of Tybee Island Lighthouse, the market is a plethora of crafts, art, and food. It is around the corner from our campground, and biking there after two days of riding in a truck, pulling a camper, was heaven. Walking into the market, we first looked for our long-time friend, Dr. Alice Gerber. Alice is an incredibly smart, twinkling 94-year-old woman who sets up a table at the market every week, selling her artwork and unique jewelry made from recycled items.

A sign at Alice’s table tells you that the proceeds for sales goes to GEM (Get Excited and Move), an organization that Alice and Olympian and Olympic coach, Michael Cohen helped found. Mr. Cohen developed an exercise program for those with movement disorders, especially Parkinson’s disease. Alice’s table raises as much as $10,000 for GEM every year. Good heavens, you say? I said that too.

Alice holds a bachelor’s degree in design from Northwestern University and after graduation designed suites for the Drake Hotel in Chicago. Alice was frequently sent overseas to design spaces for clients. After five years, on a trip to see Savannah, Georgia, relatives, she met her future husband, Marx Gerber. Married, she moved to her husband’s hometown of Savannah, Georgia, where she taught school for many years. She found she had a talent for working with special education children and went back to school, this time to Georgia Southern University, where she received a master’s degree in education. Alice enjoyed teaching for many years, and former students often drop by her table. Remarkably, Alice can call them all by name.

Alice and Marx enjoyed many happy years, but Marx was afflicted with confounding medical symptoms. As his symptoms worsened, the couple traveled around the world looking for answers. Shortly before Marx’s 1980 death, they discovered he was a victim of Parkinson’s Disease – a little understood or treated malady.

After Marx’s death, Alice began her fight against the disease. Founding the Savannah Parkinson’s Support Group, Alice heard similar life stories from Parkinson’s patients and their families.

They grew up in rural areas, and lived and drank well water on ground permeated with the pesticide paraquet. She felt there was a connection and began the research that gained her a doctorate degree in educational leadership and administration. While she was researching, she met boxer Muhammad Ali, who she describes as a lovely man and friend who helped her research financially and in other ways. When Alice first suggested a connection between paraquet and Parkinson’s, her suggestion was ignored but scientists now acknowledge that paraquet is one of the triggers for the disease.

A conversation with Alice, learning about her life; and seeing her constant smile made me realize that surely, we should all be giving back. I chased that idea further; what skills do I have? What are my gifts, because we all do have them, that I can share with the world? How can I follow Alice’s lead?

Alice is inspiring, approachable, funny, and sharp.  She is an extraordinary woman who does not rest at age 94. She continues to give back to the world, fighting still to make things better. I want to emulate her, using her as my inspiration. We are all here, we are all mostly holding hands, there is no time for nonproductive self-flagellation. Hopefully we will march into the future together, mostly holding hands, and led by people such as Alice. Onward, everybody, ever onward.

Cindy Arp, teacher/librarian, retired from Knox County Schools. She and husband Dan live in Heiskell.