Chapter 11 -- Swim On Judge Roll
"I'm not asking any of you to make drastic changes to every single one of your recipes or to totally change the way you do business. But what I am asking is that you consider reformulating your menu in pragmatic and incremental ways to create healthier versions of the foods that we all love."
Michelle Obama
If there are noble ways to die, throwing yourself on top of a person standing next to you in line when gunfire breaks out to try to protect that person certainly must be one of them. Admittedly, knowing the exact sequence of events when a mass shooting breaks out is often impossible. However, this is what I have been told my friend, the late Honorable John M. Roll, did outside a Safeway supermarket in Tucson, Arizona, on January 8, 2011. If you recall, that was the morning when deranged Jared Loughner opened fire on an unsuspecting crowd in an attempt to assassinate U.S. Representative Gabrielle Giffords at a "Congress on Your Corner" event she was conducting. Judge Roll unselfishly put another person’s life ahead of his own. He was shot in the back and died. The manner in which he left this life is testament enough to his selflessness, yet I write to share what I learned from him through our friendship.
I created this painting, titled “Swim On John,” as a tribute to my friend. I will explain the symbolism embedded in this painting shortly, but let me begin by telling you more about Judge Roll and why I speak of him often as an example of someone who truly knew how to keep balance and perspective while living a busy and demanding life.
John McCarthy Roll was born in Pittsburgh, PA on February 8, 1947. His family moved to Tucson, AZ when he was a child and that’s where he spent his childhood and youth. He received his undergraduate and law degree from the University of Arizona; he also held a Master of Laws from the University of Virginia School of Law.
Judge Roll held several positions as an attorney in Tucson, then was appointed a state court judge in Pima County, AZ in 1987. He served in that role for four years, after which President George H.W. Bush appointed him to fill a vacancy on the United States District Court for the District of Arizona in 1991. He was in this position until his untimely and senseless death in 2011.
What did Judge Roll do that fateful morning of January 8, 2011 before he was murdered? I do not know for sure, as I have never asked his family, but permit me to speculate as I know well what he did every other morning. The first thing he likely did was to attend Catholic Mass, his practice every Saturday and Sunday morning. There were actually many times in his life when he attended Catholic mass every day! Then, assuming he followed his normal morning routine, he swam laps for a full mile.
According to Judge Roll’s loving wife, Maureen, what he did next that morning was to go over to Congresswoman Gifford’s event to thank her for supporting his court’s efforts to obtain additional judges. He told Maureen that he’d be back in a few minutes. She never saw him alive again.
After the shooting in Tucson, Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court John Roberts issued this statement:
"The violence in Arizona today has senselessly taken five lives and inflicted tragic loss on dedicated public servants and their families. We in the judiciary have suffered the terrible loss of one of our own. Chief Judge John Roll was a wise jurist who selflessly served Arizona and the nation with great distinction, as attorney and judge, for more than 35 years. I express my deepest condolences to his wife Maureen and his children, as well as the other victims and their families. Chief Judge Roll's death is a somber reminder of the importance of the rule of law and the sacrifices of those who work to secure it."
I am blessed to claim Judge Roll as one of the most inspiring friends whom I had the pleasure of knowing for almost 12 years. Our initial contact was in a professional capacity, as we both worked in the federal court system. But shortly after we met, we discovered we both shared early morning lap swimming as our preferred form of exercise, and we became “early morning lap swim buddies.”
Although I lived in Las Vegas and Judge Roll lived in Tucson, we would be together three or four times a year at work-related conferences and events. Prior to these meetings, we would connect with each other and one of us would research where to swim laps. Sometimes our hotel pool was long enough and open early enough for us to get in a workout before the meetings. (I trust the statute of limitations has run on this confession, but if the hotel pool was long enough to swim laps but was not open early enough, we had been known to climb over the fencing. Please do not share this little secret as it is not my intention to tarnish Judge Roll’s stellar reputation.) Other times, we discovered a nearby YMCA or fitness center to satisfy our mutual early morning passion. And beyond this exercise sharing in our friendship, I have fond memories of the discussions Judge Roll and I often had after the swim.
What inspired me most about my lap swimming buddy was that, even with the incredible responsibility of being Chief Judge at one of the nation’s busiest federal courts, he still took time to practice spirituality and exercise every morning. Think about how often you have heard people exclaim “I’m too busy to work out!” or “If I only had more than 24 hours in a day, I would have time to do... (fill in the blank).” My response would be: “Everyone has only 24 hours in a day, and if my friend, Judge Roll, could make time to stay healthy by swimming a mile every morning, I think most of us can find time to squeeze in some exercise.”
People I know often talk about finding balance between work demands and their other interests, such as family, exercising, hobbies, etc. However, my observation is that very few people actually create this balance in their life. They simply lament not having it, without ever even trying. Judge Roll was the rare example of someone who figured it out.
Whenever I think of Judge Roll, two very special, humorous memories come to mind. The first took place several years ago. He was in my home city of Las Vegas on business though I did not know it. I had just finished my laps at the YMCA and was walking around the locker room in my birthday suit when I looked across and spotted Judge Roll in a similar situation. I enthusiastically yelled out “Hi, Judge Roll.” Although he was pleased to see me, he confessed he was a bit embarrassed walking around buck naked in a locker room in a different city. It was the strangest situation for a federal judge to hear someone call out his or her name!
My other memory occurred at a conference in Hawaii a few years ago. We were at a resort hotel and I met up with Judge Roll. He asked where we were going to swim. I smiled and pointed to the beautiful, calm, blue Pacific Ocean beyond the beach. He looked at me with innocent wonder and asked, “Really, can we swim out there?” I made some smart aleck retort, like: “Is it water, Judge?” Then I realized that he had never swum in the ocean before.
We proceeded to do our laps together in that enormous salty pool Nature had created. Judge Roll was like a little kid enjoying the ocean for the first time. Every day he wore a huge smile on his face, and one could sense his childlike wonderment at how much fun it was to do distance swimming in open waters. He never lost his passion for swimming or for anything else he did in life! I learned a fun fact when sharing this chapter with Maureen Roll. She informed me that on her first date with Judge Roll, he took her to a public swimming pool. His love for swimming went way back.
Now that you have a better understanding of my relationship with Judge Roll, let me circle back and explain my painting. I created it for Judge Roll’s widow. Its bright, varied, and vibrant colors represent the glowing spirit with which Judge Roll lived his life, his wide-ranging interests, and his vibrant personality which lives on today. The water depicts the gift of life, and the calm rolling waves reflect the Judge’s calmness and consistency. I painted the bright rays of sun shining through, just as did his positive attitude. The dove symbolizes the sign of peace, as he was a man of peace. And, lastly, the swim goggles being carried off into the sunset by the dove represent our shared passion for early morning lap swimming and a reminder of his commitment to living a well-balanced life.
The main lesson I learned from Judge Roll was about how we all can create balance in life if we strive to. He was all about making time to take care of himself spiritual and physical health, regardless of any other demands. As I told Judge Roll’s wife, Maureen, at his memorial service in Tucson, every time I put on my swim goggles for my early morning workout, I think of Judge Roll and say a silent prayer in his honor. I am grateful to have known him and to be able to call him my friend. I lament the tragedy of his death, gunned down for no reason by a crazed man.
Look again at the opening quote by Michelle Obama in this chapter. “What I am asking is that you consider reformulating your menu in pragmatic and incremental ways to create healthier versions of the foods that we all love.” To honor Judge Roll’s legacy, I have a similar request. What I ask of you is that you reformulate your daily menu in pragmatic and incremental ways to create a healthy balance in your life. Then you, too, could swim through life with the same balance as my early morning lap swimming buddie.
Recipe Reminders from “Swim On Judge Roll”:
Strive to find a healthy balance in your busy life. Yes, take your work responsibilities very seriously, but, also make time to take care of yourself emotionally and physically.
Never take a loved one for granted. The morning of January 8, 2011, Judge Roll and Mrs. Roll had no idea they would not see each other again when he left the house for “a few minutes.” Do not leave a loved one or friend with anything other than what you would want to be your last interaction.
Live life with a passion and zest.
Statement from Maureen Roll
John was a wonderful husband, father to our three sons, and papa to our grandchildren. He was compassionate and fair minded in life and as a judge. When you continue to hear from people who knew him, as well as total strangers, who say, “John as a very good man”, I think it speaks volumes about him. He is dearly loved and never forgotten.
If you have any questions for Lance he may be contacted at dashboardbagels@gmail.com.
Dashboard Bagel: Dishing up Food for Thought
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