Whom do I admire?

Yesterday was Women's Day, but I've never really given it a lot of thought about which women, if any, I've admired enough to be called role models. I know a lot of people look up to family members, or political leaders, or other iconic figures. I can't think of any single one that I could unreservedly state, "she is the person who has been my shining beacon..." or something of that sort. 

I don't think it's because I've grown up in a male-centric culture, because I haven't invested myself in any male icons either. There are authors I admire, there are even movie and book characters I admire. But no one person. Maybe that's a good thing; heroes/heroines tend to let us down when they show themselves to be mere mortals. 

So it looks like this: I admire civic dedication, especially to causes that reflect a genuine interest in children and underserved populations. In that, I like John Adams, Mother Teresa, Eleanor Roosevelt. I appreciate a degree of sass and being able to stand on one's own feet. For that, I could list (among others) Lauren Bacall, Katherine Hepburn, Sojourner Truth, and characters like Jordan Baker from The Great Gatsby and Janie Crawford from Their Eyes Were Watching God. I love a witty sense of humor, snappy repartee, a genuine delight in simple things. 

(I feel like I'm writing a dating site entry.)

Yes, there are saints and poets, teachers and former colleagues--the list would go on-- that I admire as well. I like an amalgam of personal qualities that so many people I've known or admired from afar possess. 

Walt Whitman says it best:

“I have perceiv’d that to be with those I like is enough,
To stop in company with the rest at evening is enough,
To be surrounded by beautiful, curious, breathing, laughing flesh is enough,
To pass among them, or touch any one, or rest my arm ever so lightly round his or her neck for a moment—what is this, then?
I do not ask any more delight—I swim in it, as in a sea.”

It might be easier to ask me whom I'd love to either have lunch with or work with on a project. For a while now, I've really admired the work and deep dedication of  Chef Jose Ramon Andres Puerta, the founder of World Central Kitchen. He and his organization have fed millions upon millions of people in desperate situations, keeping in mind their cultural needs and comfort. He rushes in to feed the hungry and scared children and people in war zones and disasters. If I were younger or more able to do that kind of work, I'd gladly work with him. 

Take care,

C