That being said, I am going to be positive this week. I am going to avoid things like Sarah Palin not knowing one of the world's most recognized addresses. Or Supreme Court Resident Douche Monger Antonin Scalia's proclamation that it is okay for the government to make laws favoring religion over non-religion. All I can say is that I hope both these people meet their beloved God. Sooner would be better than later.
NO! I am going to list five people I would actually cross the street to shake the hand of. Five people who make me happy that the planet has not spiraled into the Sun, being consumed by fiery plasma and blinked away into nothingness.
In no particular order:
1) Stan Lee
More than the bible, more then any teacher, more then society, comic books shaped my moral compass since I could put words together in a sentence. I know that I have a way with words. I know that is a power. And due to this guy, I KNOW that "With great power comes great responsibility." Stan Lee is comics. Stan Lee is responsible for the greats... Spider-Man, Hulk, Daredevil, Captain America, Iron Man, The Fantastic Four, The X-Men... Dr. Frikken' Doom, who I would love to model my life after... This guy made him up!!!
These characters were my constant friends as I moved around growing up. I learned that these spandex clad peeps were everywhere. I will always be indebted to Stan Lee for the creation of these pillars of my childhood, a childhood which continues to this very day.
He is still going strong. He loves the cameos in the Marvel films as much as we, the audience, are ever vigilant to spot. Not only that, he served in the Armed Forces in WWII. Been married to the same woman since 1947!!! He received the "Most Exhalted Creator" title from China! And they hate everyone!
Excelsior, indeed, Good Sir.
2) Dave Grohl
Drummer for Nirvana, Everything in the Foo Fighters. The first demo tape, Grohl did the drums, guitars, bass, vocals, songwriting, producing... The guy is a complete musical badass. More than that, he gets that he is just a damn lucky, son of a bitch. He decided to do it his way.
Getting scoffed at when in a studio? To hell with it, he records a grammy winner in his garage. In between drinking, barbecuing, and playing basketball. Getting hassled by the label? Start's his own. Love the history, the soul, of a place that is about to be demolished... Make a documentary to preserve the memory of your hallowed ground.
Then there are the stories... He writes a song for the Beaconsfield Miners, who were trapped underground and when a life line got through to them, they asked for some Foo Fighters tunes. He gives some of his beer to a guy in the second row. He stops a concert and boots a guy who was trying to start a fight.
Here is the reason why I would cross the street though... As the credits roll at the end of the documnetary, "Back and Forth", some footage of ol' Dave swiffering the floors of his place. Millionaire Rock Star... doing chores.
Rock on.
3) Senator Elizabeth Warren
Warren, time and time again, just makes sense.
She is the only one on a committee I have ever seen really tear into the corporate fat cats. Every other politician is busy trying to get their mouths firmly attached to the bankers anus'.
I am not gonna list all of her accomplishments, that is what Wikipedia is for. That and she happened to join when Congress is at it's most dysfunctional. When she started a bureau to make it so credit card companies can't fuck with you as much as they used to, the Republicans blocked her appointment to be the head of HER OWN AGENCY!!!
So, she got herself elected to the Senate. Just the colossal "FUCK YOU!" that represents makes here cool beans in my book.
As I said, she just makes sense. Of course, this is problematic in a town where intelligence and common sense is belittled and not so common.
2016???
4) Ricky Gervais
Gervais will consistently make me laugh, just from his laughing. I have rarely seen a man so comfortable with his own sense of self, he is not intimidated by other comedians or anybody else, really.
He does a lot of work for animal rescue organizations. That alone makes him pretty cool. For me though, it is his unashamed stance on Atheism. He is not afraid to talk about it, and while it may come across as "in your face", Christians have zero remorse in proselytizing... But that is tolerated... He basically said, "I got a voice too."
His work on the Netflix series, "Derek" will have me rolling one minute, in tears the next. His David Brent is considered, by a great many, to be one of the greatest TV characters of all time. "Invention of Lying" was a great movie that will make you stop and think the next time you say "I am an honest person."
Cheers, mate.
5) Peyton Manning
I wanted to spread this list out over "fields" or "genres"... When it came to sports, I had to stop and really search. Trying to come up with a person who, just because they throw, catch, kick, swing a stick would cause me to alter my day, or course, in order to shake their hand and say "Thanks." was no easy feat.
The closest I have ever heard to someone saying something bad about the guy was, "Hey did you see the statue of Peyton Manning outside the stadium?"
"No... That WAS Peyton Manning." Not the most fleet of foot, that guy. He did host SNL though...
The reason he made the list is this: A couple of seasons ago, Manning went from the Colts to the Broncos (Horse fetish maybe?) and while the mantra of "There is no 'i' in 'team'" may usually apply, it does not with this guy. Every single player elevated their game. A Pro-Bowl receiver was quoted as saying, "I thought I was the master of game prep... Then Manning showed up." Watching him dismantle a defense was always a joy to watch.
It is his work ethic, "Aw, Shucks" demeanor, and class that I would decide to walk up and offer a handshake to the statue.
The Quick and the Dead List.
1) Nikola Tesla - Smart Smart Smart Smart Smart Smart Smart
2) Bruce Lee - Please teach me some zen... and how to cave a man's chest in, Sifu.
3) Danny Thomas - Founded St. Jude's hospital. Told families who have gotten the shittiest of cards dealt to them, "We will take care of you!" THAT is how to be a human being.
__________________________________________________________
Be it the passion, and longevity, exhibited by Stan Lee, the grounded goofiness of Dave Grohl, the common sense of Elizabeth Warren, the unabashed happiness/exuberance of Ricky Gervais, or the nose to the grindstone, work ethic of Peyton Manning, I hope I can incorporate some of those traits into my own life.
These people will probably be the first to tell you they are not heroes. I concur, I only have one of those, and I call him "Dad". I also shake his hand... and I don't make him get up off my couch to do so.
Takin' care of business,
d
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