Author
Jack Kairos (JestJack)
About Jack Kairos (JestJack)
Welcome to Ink Harmony. I’m Jack Kairos, also known as JestJack or just Jack. A storyteller and observer of the human experience, I share stories, essays, musings, and poetry that reflect life’s complexities and my search for meaning in a conplex world.
My writing is shaped by my diverse experiences. I spent over a decade as a chef, blending creativity and precision in the culinary arts. Now, I work as a CNC router operator, exploring the intersection of craftsmanship and technology. These roles have given me a unique perspective that enriches the stories I tell.
At Ink Harmony, you’ll find personal reflections, essays on society, imaginative fiction, and poetry that explores the heart of human experience.
New Categories coming soon:
- Culinary Arts: Straightforward food-related posts, inspired by my years as a chef.
- CNC Router Insights: Lessons and observations from my current role, highlighting the balance of precision and creativity in modern manufacturing.
Join me as we connect through stories that inspire thought, encourage understanding, and explore the possibilities of a better world.
Why the name JestJack?
It started out as Hayokah (phonetic, alternate spelling of Heyoka) which is a Sacred Clown role in Lakota/Dakota culture - the idea is that the Heyoka's role was to behave in a manner opposite and contrarian to the general sentiments of the tribe which served to moderate behavior. Imagine everyone is fired up and angry about something, everyone feeding off of each others emotions, and then the Heyoka comes skipping through the group whistling a happy tune and laughing. You see this and it helps you to calm down and have a little bit of a better perspective.
After some time I decided to change it out of respect for the Sioux since I am not myself Native American (half of my family is though) nor Heyoka.
One of my favorite musicals is this old one called The Court Jester with Danny Kaye and Angela Lansbury. In it Danny Kaye's character is tasked with protecting the infant king from the usurper King but due to an unexpected encounter ends up assuming the identity of the usurper King's new Court Jester Giacomo who is actually an assassin in disguise. When they get to the Court Danny Kaye has to pretend to be a Jester who is actually an assassin and juggle all these roles while also trying to protect the infant true King. I like the idea of a man finding himself in the role of an entertainer and villain and playing both very awkwardly while also being a good guy.
But Giacomo was not available on Twitch so I ended up naming myself Jackamow (phonetic spelling of Giacomo) but after a while I got tired of people pronouncing it as Jack a mow (as in ow) instead of Jack a moe.
After a lot of soul searching I settled on JestJack which is a a play on words between Jester, Jest, Just and Jack (not my real name) because I always liked the line in the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy where Gag Halfrunt describes Zaphod Beeblebrox as "Vell, Zaphod's just zis guy, you know?" because Zaphod has this huge ego and Gag Halfrunt is his brain-care specialist.
So I'm Jest zis guy, you know?