Thirteen Famous Mentors

A few weeks ago I did a thursday thirteen of my teachers. I said then that it was only part one. Here are thirteen other teachers. Thirteen people from pop culture that made a difference in my life.

1-4) The Beatles:
John Lennon
Paul McCartney
George Harrison
Ringo Starr
I was about three when I saw the movie Yellow Submarine while sitting on my brothers lap. I wanted to be Jeremy, the little Nowhere Man who the Beatles took along with them on the journey. Nowhere Man is still one of my favorite songs.
Nowhere Man, please listen, you don't know what you're missing.
Nowhere Man, the world is at your command.
These words can make me think about the world around me on my most selfish days.
There's nothing you can do that can't be done. Nothing you can sing that can't be sung, Nothing you can say, but you can learn how to play the game it's easy....All You Need Is Love
Is there a more fundamental truth than this? Yes, I know, somtimes you need more...but love is the first step--and I thank the four men from Liverpool for being my teachers.

5) Jim Henson
What do I say about this light that went out way too early. He was much more than just a puppeteer. He made a Pig a sex symbol. He made places for kids to go that they felt safe and loved. He showed us truth by using just a bit of felt, and a lot of heart.
When green is all there is to be, it can make you wonder why, but why wonder, why wonder. I'm green, and it will do fine. It's beautiful and I think it's what I want to be.

6) Dorothy Zpornak played by Beatrice Arthur
I know you're going HUH???? The Beatles, Jim Henson and who??? Well yeah. I didn't watch The Golden Girls the first season it was on. On August 22, 1986 my grandmother died. I was sitting with my grandfather as he watched The Golden Girl. Grandpa, who had barely smiled since losing Grandma was laughing full out. I stopped watching Grandpa and started watching the show. Sophia was very like my grandmother, but Dorothy was the woman I wanted to be. Smart, Savvy, and with a lightning quick wit.

7) Diane Chambers played by Shelly Long
Boys don't make passes at girls who wear glasses.
Old saying. I also think it meant that if you wanted to be too smart, you wouldn't be seen as attractive. I was a teenager and I liked being smart, but I knew that the boys would not go near me if I was "too smart" right? Well, then, wait a minute. Here's this TV show. There's this woman, Diane, and she's smart. She's really smart. She's sexy too--all the guys on the show want her. Wow, maybe, just maybe, I could be smart and sexy too. Thank you Diane, for making it okay to be smart.

8-9) Thomas G. Yohe and Bill Dorough
If the names aren't familiar see if you can finish these phrases
Conjunction Junction, what's your function?________________________
I'm just a bill, yeah I'm only a bill and____________________________
Lolly Lolly Lolly get your ______________________
If you can finish the phrases than you know these two men. They are the ones who created Schoolhouse Rock which taught me the basics of grammar, history (even though as I'm older I realize how white-centric it was), science and my multiplication tables.

10) Barbra Streisand
I remember getting in trouble in hebrew school because of her. My teacher (a woman) was talking about Yentl. She went on to say how Barbra overreached. Barbra should know that you can't (co)write, direct, star in, and produce a movie. I raised my hand and said that when Woody Allen does just that he's called a genius. I had to leave the class. I admired her for making her own terms in hollywood. I admire her less for charging $1000 a ticket to see her live, but that is her right. I still call her a mentor because she showed me just how far a Jewish woman from New York can go.

11) The cast and crew of Star Trek
Star Trek, the original series. Go back and watch it. Yes, sometimes you cringe at stuff, but DAMN some of that is great work. If for no other reason than it became a common language so geeks all over the world to speak to one another. When I meet someone who is a Trekkie (or Trekker) I already have something in common with them. And while we might be geeks, we're the smart ones. Bill Gates is a Trekkie, so's George Lucas. I'm in good company.

12) Yoda
I suppose by extension George Lucas, but really the character of Yoda was a mentor to me. I can't say how often I have said to myself "Try not. Do or do not, there is no try." Nine times out of ten, after giving myself the Yoda pep talk, I do whatever the heck I was going to try.

13) Steven Spielberg
There is a line in an Andrew Lloyd Webber song, We taught the world new ways to dream, When I hear that line I always think of Steven Spielberg. From Jaws to Munich he shows us fabulous stories that enrich our lives. He brings the best out of his actors, treats his screenwriters like people, not peons and manages to be a role model.

Who are some of your teachers?

Comments

[Wacky Mommy]

"it's not easy being green" always makes me smile.

Cool list.

[Nicole Austin]

Great TT! Animal was my favorite. :D

[The Gal Herself]

What a fabulous post! It's imaginative and sincere and I loved it. (Of course I'm listening to Paul McCartney as I type this, so I'm more than a little prejudiced.) Oh, and Babs! She was a great mentor, though in a way she blighted my path. After seeing The Way We Were about 200 times, I was convinced that as a loudmouthed liberal who can't keep my opinions to myself, I was practically promised a dishy sailor all my own! Unfortunately, it hasn't happened yet.

[Di]

And my personal mentor, Ms. Kobryn who was my teacher for first and third grade and with whom I corresponded until her death just a few years ago.

[amy]

Very cool list..Enjoyed reading it!

[Crimson Wife]

Interesting list! Never understood what a smart cookie like Diane would see in a guy like Sam. Okay, he was supposed to be an ex-Red Sox pitcher but he was a total womanizer, sheesh!

[MommyBa]

Barbra Streisand...I love her!!!

Steven Spielberg is classic!

Happy Thursday!

[This Eclectic Life]

That list rocks! Jim Henson was a genius, Yoda did get in at least one good quote, and your story about Barbara Streisand is priceless. I bet you were a ring-tailed tooter (said affectionately, that's a good thing).

[DebraSue]

So many of yours are so many of mine; the Beatles, Jim Henson, School House Rock... What a poignant and intensely personal T13.

For me, instead of Barbra and Bea, 2 of my mentors were:

Mr. T on the A-team - the coolest cat on the planet. He was a bad ass who also had very human fears. He taught me it was okay to be tough and soft at the same time.

Ringo Staff in Caveman - I loved this movie when I was a kid. It was awesome how the nerdy underdog saved the other cave people and got the girl. I appreciated that he realized that the really cool girl was the smart and helpful one, not the sex bomb (a theme that has been replayed over and over, but still works).

Thanks for the good memories.

[Domestic Geek]

The world definitely lost a shining star the day we lost Jim Henson. It's amazing to think of how our lives wouldn't have been impacted so greatly if not for the likes of Roddenbury, Lucuas and Speilberg. Great list!

[Reese]

6) Dorothy Zpornak played by Beatrice Arthur

I knew that one - I was watch GG season 3 last night with my best friend. :-) Love those ladies!!!

[dew]

Aw, I love that little you in Hebrew school who stood up for what she knew was right!

[It's Me... Maven]

Absolutely perfect list; mine, I'd swap out Babs for Mr. Rogers or Kaptain Kangaroo...

[SusieJ]

I must admit, I never really thought of these people like this. Especially Yoda -- but you're right on target. Nice story about your Grandpa. Did he ever re-marry a Golden Girl?

[Cavatica]

Great list. Especially Barbara S and the Yoda quote. I love that quote and used it in a birthday card for someone recently. But you just inspired me to print it and stick it on my computer. It'll be good with my clients too. Thanks for making me think of it again. I LOVE Yoda!

[Naomi]

Bob Ross: There are no such things as mistakes. Only happy little accidents.

[Jessica The Rock Chick]

Great list! I agree, those Muppets totally rock!! I always liked the songs they sang like "Rainbow Connection"...

And Yoda! Well, he was just too cool as well.

Really cool list!
Happy TT
Jessica The Rock Chick