One of the joys of getting older — keep in mind that I have been a community activist for over 40 years — is watching how life evolves in Madison and how some things feed into other things.

This past week, It was pretty cool to go see the hip hop exhibit “Lead Between the Rhythm” at the Wisconsin Historical Museum.

I had known the curators in another life, so to speak. I knew Menkhu Ara — when he went by a different name — through the neighborhood centers where he worked. And Greg Doby talked about getting to know hip hop through the S. Park Street festivals. I was on the board of the South Madison Neighborhood Center in the 1980s and was its board president for a year. And we put on the South Madison Black Party at Penn Park where Greg was introduced to breakdancing and hip hop. You never know how your community involvement will impact people’s lives for the better.

And then walking through the exhibit, Fresh Force was pictured. I knew some of the members of Fresh Force — especially a youthful Johnny Winston Jr. — when they performed at community events.

DJ Pain 1 was also portrayed. I have known DJ Pain 1 — aka Pacal Bayley — since he was a youth because his mom and I worked together at the Madison Urban League in the 1980s. I really had nothing to do with his musical growth, but it has been cool to watch his evolution into a national recording producer and performer. And there was Rob Dz staring out at you as large as life. I have seen Rob perform many times at venues like Juneteenth and have also interacted with him in his day job at the Madison Public Library.

Clyde Stubblefield who was the drummer for James Brown, made Madison his home. Clyde is the Godfather of Hip Hop because his majestic and innovative beats were used by many hip hop artists. I had the honor to interview Clyde a couple of years before he died. And he honored me with the drumsticks he was holding in the photo I took of him. I’m going to give one of the drumsticks to the hip hop museum. Its authenticity is backed by the photo I took.

And so it was so cool to go through the hip hop exhibit. It made me realize that I had experienced many of its artists and components individually. The exhibit, as it should, brought it all together for me.

And then there is the downside of getting old as I am now on the backside of the circle of life. I try not to think too much about death and dying. While death will eventually have me, sooner or later, I am determined to limit its impact to just that one day.

But then there are the deaths that have been coming with increasing frequency as the Baby Boom Generation — of which I am a part — fades into the distance.

While I knew that Theresa Sanders had been ill, it still came as somewhat of a shock when I heard that she had passed. Of course I knew Theresa as an AKA, but also as a county social worker working on aging issues. Our paths crossed with regularity. And then there was the AKA’s Men Who Cook. For me it was the beginning od spring when it was held each March. And it was Theresa who recruited us and organized us as we cooked our favorite dish for the audience to taste and vote on all to raise funds for scholarships. I was one of Theresa’s chefs for 25 years. Her death marks the end of an era.

And then there was Rev. Larry Jackson’s death in early February. Larry was a fixture in South Madison for as long as I can remember. We were always bumping into each other and I did a couple of stories on him. Not only was he the pastor — and founder if my memory serves me correctly — of True Worshippers Church located on Fish Hatchery Road. And Larry was an entrepreneur outside of the chaplain role that he played at a Wisconsin prison. He bought the building on Perry Street across from what is now Madison College and had a restaurant in it. He bought the old Mr. Ps on Beld Street and other commercial buildings in South Madison to ensure that people had an affordable place to stay. Larry was always ministering on that level. And most importantly, there was Larry’s smile and warmth. He always injected positivity into people’s days.

And so life has its good sides and bad sides, all a part of the cycle of life. I am grateful that I have been around for the cycle so far.