The day my doodling Tacoma friend held a mirror to my soul

Recently I had the good pleasure of having an impromptu lunch with a humorous, witty, provocative, caring and modest man, my friend Dennis Flannigan. You might know him as a four-term Washington state representative, or for his years of service as a Pierce County Council member or co-founder of Pierce County Alliance and Emergency Food Network.

Our relationship reaches back more than four decades.

Almost immediately during our lunch, I witnessed him do something he’s done many times since we’ve known each other: reach into his pocket, pull out his pen and start doodling.

When we first met in 1967, Dennis had an unquenchable thirst for social justice and equality for all. In 1964, he left Tacoma and traveled to the Mississippi Delta, where he immersed himself and joined hands with the Freedom Summer campaign, a civil-rights project to register black voters.

Just as Dennis completed his training, three civil-rights workers were murdered in Mississippi. The Delta was a stronghold for civil-rights resistance, which often resulted in murder, torture and other violence.

This only accelerated Dennis’ quest. Perhaps he, like myself and countless others, had heard and responded to the passionate inaugural address of John F. Kennedy when he said: “Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.”

Upon returning to Tacoma, Dennis continued as an unapologetic activist in and out of state and served in local government. He is credited with giving life to numerous social movements and social-service programs throughout the Pacific Northwest.

I venture to say he has impacted all segments of Tacoma-Pierce County, the rich, poor, middle class, homeless and drug-addicted. Every time you see the official Pierce County logo you are witnessing Dennis’ most pervasive influence.

During our recent visit, we continued to laugh and talk about mutual friends, some of whom have passed on. Nearly two hours later, I looked at what Dennis was seamlessly doodling; it was a portrait of me.

I was struck with many emotions at once: happiness, sadness, even hopefulness. It was as if he had held up a mirror to my soul.

Suddenly I was snatched back in time to Bogalusa, Louisiana, where I grew up. I remembered myself at 17 or 18, a senior in high school, gazing out the school window thinking of faraway places, where segregation was not an acceptable way of life.

How could one little doodle evoke such an emotional memory?

Researchers have discovered that people enter an absorbed state of consciousness when doodling or sketching, boosting productivity and the ability to solve problems creatively. A recent experiment found people who doodle were more likely to reach a creative flow, resulting in a profound influence.

Psychologists describe the concept as being “in the zone.”

Perhaps my friend entered that zone when he drew my likeness, for he captured the essence of my childhood. In that doodle, I saw my desire to leave Bogalusa and the South in pursuit of a better quality of life. That was the turning point in my life, and he captured it.

No conventional wisdom can do that. I wonder if he’s aware of the impact he’s had not only on myself, but also the entire community of Tacoma, of Washington and the world.

In October, at age 80, Dennis has planned a trip to return to Mississippi for a civil-rights reunion. I know for certain his doodle pen will quietly tag along.