A word on heroes, real-world and TV-world.

This weekend I
am going to see a dozen different muscians perform. These
talented hard working people are the ones I respect - my own
heroes. To the best of my knowledge, none of them have ever beat
up a lover, damaged a child, gone _back_ to rehab, skipped a
child-support agreement, shot a butler, fought animals, burned down a
house, or peed on a stewardess. I will celebrate life with these
people, and a few other special friends, and renew my faith in humanity
just a little bit. Yay us!
Earlier this week I got to run
with some of the elite athletes in the region. On a typical
Wednesday night workout they will lap me in a three lap race, and it's
not for my lack of trying! The same guys keep up jobs and happy
families and we can still sit down occasioanlly to share stories over a
few beers. Yay them!
Tonight I will get to spend time with
five fabulous animals. They are all great natural specimens, and
also great companions. They do not know shame or anger, their
motives are clear and pure, blame and disgrace can never be laid upon
them. For a pittace of food and simple shelter they bring life to
a home and delight to a heart. Yay doggies!
Of course
there are big time celebs worth mentioning. This week one of my
early sports heroes and another I adopted as an adult were recognized
into the NHL hall of fame. Steve Yzerman played and led with
quiet intensity for many years, while Brett Hull brought class and
style, and crafty technique, to every rink he played. It's guys
like these I pay attention to, as they run up stats on page three, not
the bad mouth bad boys on the front page. Bless you boys!
[quick nod to the '84 tigers there]
Eventually we must say
goodbye to these good people, even as we make them immortal in our
memories. A few days ago Ed McMahon passed on. This guy
went on from two combat tours in the USMC to deliver a fifty year
entertainment career, bringing class and showmanship to every
venture. Other media icons that I particularly remember passing
include Mel Blanc, Jack Lemmon, Yul Brenner... gosh I could go on, but
let's just say, Yay for untainted memories!
Your time is
precious, your affections at their best when clear and
unconfused. There are many many people deserving of your praise
and admiration, quite a few of them in pop culture, but certainly not
all. Look around you - I bet there are heroes you meet every
single day. Keep your eye on them - you never know what they
might accomplish next!