One Month...

I get to see Michael J. Fox in one month. I know you might've tuned into this blog before, so you might know that has some significance. But, I don't think you can TRULY KNOW what that means for me unless you're my husband or the wonderful lass who procured me my tickets.

I try not to idolize people, for it goes against everything I believe in, but if there was one person who got dangerously close to being put upon a pedestal in my life, it would be Michael J. Fox. His roles in Family Ties and Back to the Future were cornerstones in my entertainment youth. But the thing is, the work in those seminal 80s productions STILL hold up today. His turn in Spin City in the mid/late 90s solidified him as an adult sitcom powerhouse, and his battle with Parkinson's is less of a daily battle but more of a daily reminder to everyone else that even when life throws you curve balls, you need to LIVE it. His autobiography is also a satisfying read: he takes a stern look at the way he's lived his life, admits mistakes, and commits to moving ever onward and upward, striving to inspire those who feel pity for themselves.

At the beginning of the school year I had my students write a poem called "What If..." Each student added a line, including myself, and it hangs outside my classroom door. My line? "What if I get to meet and mingle with Michael J. Fox..." Now, I could dream to be that lucky, but I still get to be in the same room as him, listening to his words, and hoping some of his wisdom and optimism rubs off on me. I'll try not to be an eager beaver goon in the front, weeping through his presentation...but I can't make any promises. I do know I'll be one Lucky Me to be able to say I saw my hero in person. I know he'll never see this, or know how much I'm looking forward to this evening that's a month away, but I can hope he feels my good vibes coming at him from the audience.