Having Heros

Painting by Maira KalmanIt is, in my opinion, so important to have heros. 

I have been trying and trying to find the right words to describe my feelings about the inauguration of Barrack Obama, and how honored I was to be there.

And how it felt like being in a room with a million people who were all in a state of inspiration.

And how thankful I am to have a friend like Vince, who has known me since I was a grubby toddler, who invited me to join him at an event that could not have been imagined by any american generation other than his own, or realized without the help of any other generation than my own....

and was coming up with nothing. 

Leave it to my hero, Maira Kalman, to paint a perfect picture of everything I was trying to say. Kalman has long been a hero of mine, a self taught author and humorist and artist. It turns out that she was there too, and by the looks of her painting above, she and I had the same amazing view during the concert at the Lincoln Memorial. Which means that I was sharing air space with Maira Kalman and Bruce Springsteen at the same time. Which is just absolutely too much for me to comprehend.

I know, I have said this before, but isn't it amazing when you see a piece of art for the first time, and you are struck with the sense that at least one person understands you completely? See more of Mairas art from her trip to DC here, and even buy limited edition prints at the gallery that represents her here. And buy her book, The Principles of Uncertainty, almost everywhere else.