The article appeared in Seatle's Blog on Monday, December 28, 2016.
"Christmas Gala Brings the House Down"
"Christmas Gala Brings the House Down"
There was no snow for Christmas, but Saint Nick and all his elves didn't need all the white stuff to leave presents for Seattle's Homeless thanks to the generous heart, and far-reaching vision of Maydene Short. Capital Hill regulars have stories about their long-time heroine's generosity, and uncommon goodness; enough to fill a sleigh. Artist, family advocate and pioneer mid-wife Maydene Short has lived in her second floor corner apartment of the two story Capital Apartments since she arrived in Seattle in September, 1967.
May Short, more often called Auntie May was born in London, in 1947 to a family physician and one of England's first teaching nurses, and mid-wife. Maydene Short inherited family money and a very determined will created an eclectic vision. Right out of high school, and after a summer spent on the North Shore of the Hawaiian Island of O'ahu a vision began to gel: a four-year course of study at Cornish School of the Arts put the wild haired blonde into a life of Costume Design. Her headdresses and skin-hugging body suits made of crushable foil, recycled silk saris, and recycled window dressings made of natural fiber put her decades ahead of her time.
But it was Maydene Short's 'second major' that created a lifetime of advocacy for women and their families. While enrolled in Cornish, she also studied with the Stella Goldman and her husband Mathew Goldman, M.D. to learn the skills necessary to become a mid-wife and P.N. When she graduated with her B.A. in Costume Design in 1971, Maydene Short and her closest friend Calypso, also a Goldman family trained midwife, converted the Capital Apartments into Seattle's first birthing center for low-income women and their families. More than a thousand babies have been birthed in the Capital Apartments since 1971. They are family.
May Short, more often called Auntie May was born in London, in 1947 to a family physician and one of England's first teaching nurses, and mid-wife. Maydene Short inherited family money and a very determined will created an eclectic vision. Right out of high school, and after a summer spent on the North Shore of the Hawaiian Island of O'ahu a vision began to gel: a four-year course of study at Cornish School of the Arts put the wild haired blonde into a life of Costume Design. Her headdresses and skin-hugging body suits made of crushable foil, recycled silk saris, and recycled window dressings made of natural fiber put her decades ahead of her time.
But it was Maydene Short's 'second major' that created a lifetime of advocacy for women and their families. While enrolled in Cornish, she also studied with the Stella Goldman and her husband Mathew Goldman, M.D. to learn the skills necessary to become a mid-wife and P.N. When she graduated with her B.A. in Costume Design in 1971, Maydene Short and her closest friend Calypso, also a Goldman family trained midwife, converted the Capital Apartments into Seattle's first birthing center for low-income women and their families. More than a thousand babies have been birthed in the Capital Apartments since 1971. They are family.
Forty five years later, on Christmas Night, 2016, Maydene Short gathered two dozen of her closest friends, a few of the many babies now grown with families and even grandchildren of their own; and another dozen of Seattle's social justice activists, and policy makers committed to solutions for housing women and their families who are without a home. While Stan Costa stroked the strings of his stand-up bass the hauntingly sonic whale tones of the songstress Shine prepared the apartment filled with love for its next voyage.
Some of our readers may not know Jacques Costeau, this writer, admits to being too young to remember the Frenchman. But, I can read, and I've done my homework and know why it makes so much sense to see the hand carved letters hoisted across the former Capital Apartments at midnight Christmas Night.
Some of our readers may not know Jacques Costeau, this writer, admits to being too young to remember the Frenchman. But, I can read, and I've done my homework and know why it makes so much sense to see the hand carved letters hoisted across the former Capital Apartments at midnight Christmas Night.
C A L Y P SO will be Capital Hill's first, and Seattle's first boarding house for families without homes. I thought the name of Costeau's ship Calypso a truly fitting new name. That there was more to the name than that I would learn from the Mistress Maydene Short. The small printed announcement in the shape of a ship gave guests a few details. Renovations to the block-sized apartment building have already begun and will feature a full-size kitchen (with a live-in cook and host the owners and long-time magic makers from the Safety Pin Cafe, Fairy Lady and the Silver-Haired Raven); six studio apartments, and two family-sized apartments.
"The issues and solutions for dealing with families ... of all sizes, amount to this: make it possible to be in a home so one can catch-up," Maydene Short was clear in her motivation when I finally catch her at a quiet moment Christmas night.
"Catch up?" I asked, wishing, as soon as I asked, that I hadn't. The question and the answer made me shamefully insensitive and short of compassion. But maybe that's the point. How many of us are truly sensitive and compassionate?
May looked me in the eye. We are both nearly the same height. "Have you ever been without a home, or a safe place to sleep at night?" She held my arms in hers as she waited for my answer.
"No. I've never been homeless, but I have awoken in places where I didn't feel safe."
"Doesn't take much to be so. And once you've been there -- never sure where you'll be for the night, when you are one of the untouchables, the illegal -- you will never forget that it might take the whole rest of your lifetime to catch up on the losses that will frequent your waking dreams." Maydene Short has very strong hands. "I've been a baby catcher for almost as many years as you've been alive, sweetie." She said with no glint of judgement, or gloat. May slid right into the next most important detail for the night.
"CALYPSO is named for my very best friend. She didn't have any other name, at least not in the time I knew her. She was a vessel, like Cousteau's ship. At the core of herself she knew giving life and then making the most of it were two interconnected things. Her granddaughter Larkin and her best friend Catlin will be managing things once I am safely tucked away in busy London town. We're passing the torch to the young. And, those Kitchen Magicians will be CALYPSO's resident ... gatekeepers, ensuring the lessons of respect and protocol between beings is maintained with grace."
The final renovations to the old Capital Apartments will take place between January 1 and February 8th, 2016. The Lunar New Year of the Fire Monkey begins with the second Dark Moon after the Winter Solstice, and with it all the trickery and resourcefulness of the clever monkey will fill the heart of CALPYSO. Long may she live!
"The issues and solutions for dealing with families ... of all sizes, amount to this: make it possible to be in a home so one can catch-up," Maydene Short was clear in her motivation when I finally catch her at a quiet moment Christmas night.
"Catch up?" I asked, wishing, as soon as I asked, that I hadn't. The question and the answer made me shamefully insensitive and short of compassion. But maybe that's the point. How many of us are truly sensitive and compassionate?
May looked me in the eye. We are both nearly the same height. "Have you ever been without a home, or a safe place to sleep at night?" She held my arms in hers as she waited for my answer.
"No. I've never been homeless, but I have awoken in places where I didn't feel safe."
"Doesn't take much to be so. And once you've been there -- never sure where you'll be for the night, when you are one of the untouchables, the illegal -- you will never forget that it might take the whole rest of your lifetime to catch up on the losses that will frequent your waking dreams." Maydene Short has very strong hands. "I've been a baby catcher for almost as many years as you've been alive, sweetie." She said with no glint of judgement, or gloat. May slid right into the next most important detail for the night.
"CALYPSO is named for my very best friend. She didn't have any other name, at least not in the time I knew her. She was a vessel, like Cousteau's ship. At the core of herself she knew giving life and then making the most of it were two interconnected things. Her granddaughter Larkin and her best friend Catlin will be managing things once I am safely tucked away in busy London town. We're passing the torch to the young. And, those Kitchen Magicians will be CALYPSO's resident ... gatekeepers, ensuring the lessons of respect and protocol between beings is maintained with grace."
The final renovations to the old Capital Apartments will take place between January 1 and February 8th, 2016. The Lunar New Year of the Fire Monkey begins with the second Dark Moon after the Winter Solstice, and with it all the trickery and resourcefulness of the clever monkey will fill the heart of CALPYSO. Long may she live!
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