Snapshots of inspirational people in chronological order.
Posted with gratitude.
1. Mum and Dad; For life itself, and for showing me their sound moral and ethical raft upon which to float through life. It was not their fault that I kept falling off it.
2. Walt Disney; For inspiring a life-long interest in geography and nature, and a fascination with foreign cultures and customs.
3. Enid Blyton; The Famous Five series of books encouraged my childhood love of reading. Her books transported me from the dry, harsh, Central Victorian goldfields to magical places in the countryside with mountains, fog, mist, springs and babbling brooks.
The man then went on to live his boyhood imagination.
4. Patty Duke; My first teenage unrequited love. She fired the starter’s gun to begin my marathon race to discover the mystery and wonders of the opposite wotsit. Has anyone seen the finishing line?
5. The Beatles; Who energised, motivated and redirected an entire generation, and remembering especially the quiet and talented George Harrison (centre at back) who always remained grounded in reality.
Oh yes, and they showed me a radical new hairstyle that I retained for 30 years until all my hair started falling out.
6. Peter Cook; Gifted British comic genius. I will continue to laugh at his short sketch “One leg too few” (here) until the day I die.
7. Sidney Poitier; The former dishwasher and janitor who succeeded in life despite all the overwhelming obstacles that were placed in his path. Poitier’s character in the 1967 film “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner” forced me to seriously consider racism and segregation, for the first time in my life, from the recipient’s point of view.
Now in his Autumn years, Poitier exudes with Mandela-esque gentility the qualities of dignity, wisdom, forgiveness and compassion.
If the good Fairy of Fate could arrange for me to spend a day with just one celebrity in this world, I would select Poitier.
8. John Denver; For his music, and contagious enthusiasm for life, the environment and the universe.
Sadly only four people from this list of twelve are still alive.
I hope all twelve found peace and contentment in their lives,
for their contributions enabled me early in life to find my own.
Some random lines from this musical meditation.
The days they pass so quickly now
Nights are seldom long
And time around me whispers when it’s cold
The changes somehow frighten me
Still I have to smile
It turns me on to think of growing old
For though my life’s been good to me
There’s still so much to do.
And talk of poems and prayers and promises
And things that we believe in
How sweet it is to love someone
How right it is to care
How long it’s been since yesterday
And what about tomorrow
And what about our dreams
And all the memories we share.
.
(John Denver 1943-1997)
So, disregarding lust as a driver, which celebrity would you most like to spend a day with?