Remembrance: Robert Busby's Quiet Life
The short dash between the dates on a tombstone represents the totality of one's life, dreams, trials, aspirations, tribulations and accomplishments. No final parting makes sense, other than the plain recognition that where there is birth, there follows death.
I can share a small slice of Robert Busby's life, having met him some 25 years ago, in 1981, as I searched for a home and place for my business ventures.
I was working out of the beautiful old Michigan Theatre downtown, a treasure lost to our city, and I had to leave because they were about to tear it down.
So I went to north Lansing, where I saw work being done on some of the building façades. There I met Busby and discovered that a building between his place and the Mustang Bar was for sale. I bought it and we became neighbors. At that time, the area was mostly abandoned -- boarded-up buildings, many homeless and nothing going on.
He established the 2 Doors Down Gallery, along with Barbara Morris, Dave Kleis and Ed Hall and others. It was called that because it was two doors down from the infamous Mustang Bar.
Together we collaborated on many things, from being the only two people shoveling snow off the Turner St. sidewalks, to attending North Lansing Community Association meetings, to co-founding the North Lansing Art Association ... later to become the Business & Art Development Association of North Lansing -- BADASS! ... and eventually the Old Town Business & Art Development Association.
He and Ed Hall provided inexpensive studio spaces for artists in the TUBUED studios at 1214 Turner St. He helped with the Snake Rodeo, OctoberFest and JazzFest. He created the Creole Gallery and much more.
And throughout the last 25 years, rarely did a day pass that I didn't see him working, with his own two hands, on one of his buildings. He was more of a doer than a talker. He made quiet contributions.
We attended hundreds and hundreds of meetings, had hundreds and hundreds of conversations, and participated in creative forums and debates about what the area could become and how to go about it.
It's hard to create community ... especially when many involved are passionate, have their own views of the best way to do things, are determined and dedicated.
And although we didn't always agree ... on one thing he did.
That we want to create an open space in the greater Lansing community ... both a physical and a mental space ...
where everyone is welcome ...
to make new friends and to explore ways that we, together, can create a better community ...
through preserving our heritage,
through economic development,
and mostly ... through the arts.
Libation
To our most recent ancestor ... Robert Busby
May our memories of you make us want to be better people
May our memories of you help us to open our hearts ... to appreciate and love one another
May our memories of you fan the flames of our passion to create a better community
to stay on the path
that we may each continue to live your dream.
Terry Terry