My HERO (part one)
So I was having a drink (or two or three) and in that state of mind, you get into those life questions that have a little meat on their bones, questions that can’t be given a mere one-word response. The conversation switches from, “When are you seeing the new Star Wars?” (Friday) or “Where’d you get that pedicure?” (Sunny’s) to “How can we change the world?” (I can’t answer that one in a book, let alone a word) or “Is ANYBODY changing the world?”
“Sure!” I said. “People change the world everyday!”
“Who?” said my friend. “Name me one!”
I’ve had this talk about a thousand times: where are the heroes? Who do we look up to? Does our generation have any role models, blahblah?
I think, you BET. So I’m starting a new little song-and-dance here on the blog: I’m going to talk about the people changing the world. I figure, if I’m actively looking for them, I’m going to find them. I’m going to see them all over the goddamn place and really, there’s nothing more inspiring: how the guy sitting next to you on the bus, or at the next table at Danny’s, or walking their dog in Humbolt Park, or writing a story in your class, or your client, or server, or neighbor, or colleague, or whichever the hell person you don’t know so well is doing something small to rock your day-to-day.
So, here’s my hero.
His name is Byron. He’s a photographer represented by the Aesthetic Eye Gallery on Chicago Avenue, and I am a fan. I want to commission him (he has this crazy style, give it a look here). We met a couple of years ago in a writing class, and he was the guy who made me go home and write. You know that guy? You hear their stuff and you’re like, damn, this guy is showing me up! So then you have to work harder (instead of taking the afternoon off to drink Juicy Booties at Pontiac).
Anyhow, I’m a regular reader of his blog, and about a month ago, it stopped.
Today, it started again. Hopefully you’ve got time to give the first entry a read. Hopefully you’ll say, “Hell, yeah Byron! You tell it!” or “Thank you, Byron, for sharing that story,” or, “Hey, Byron, listen to MY story,” or, like me: “Byron, Byron. You’re my hero.”