Klaus Obermeyer. This legend of a man just recently turned 91 and, until tonight, I didn't know much about him other than the fact that he started the "Obermeyer" ski-clothing company (http://www.obermeyer.com/) . As I was flipping around on the TV, I came across a local station that was airing an interview with Klaus. The interview was really terrible. The guy interviewing Klaus seemed rude and unaware of the tone and ignorance he was obviously showing to Klaus, but I kept watching. Because although the interviewer was infuriating me, Klaus didn't seem to notice or care. At 91 years old, he was no "new kid on the block." He knew exactly what was going on, and it didn't phase him one bit.
Klaus is an honest, pure man that grew up climbing mountains and "hand-fishing" in rivers throughout what was then called Bavaria. Klaus taught himself to ski down mountains with his friends by first learning how to climb them. "We didn't have lifts! When we didn't want to climb, we built jumps!...There's something amazing about that zero-g feeling!" While Klaus told stories, his infectious smile and laugh would almost interrupt him like he had no control over his happiness. He seems to be truly "over-flowing" with glee. At 91, he's still skiing, still laughing, still smiling, and still yodeling. We can all learn a lesson or two from such a "rich" man.
Next up, thanks to my sister, is one of my favorite musicians of all time, Stevie Wonder. Stevie's hits like "I Just Called to Say I Love You," and "Superstition," are loved by all, but for me, his influence goes beyond just a top-selling album. His views on world peace, famine, and love are what really makes him so influential to me. When Larry King asked him, "Will you ever run out of things to sing or write about?" Stevie replied, "As long as there is war...or spirits without love, I will always have something to write about."
The last of the 3 inspirational figures from this evening is more out of place than you could ever guess. Gene Simmons, the legendary rock-star from the band, "KISS." Yes, he's ridiculous. Yes, he's boned more groupies than you can imagine. Yes, he has another "reality" show to add to the mix, but did you know that he was born in Haifa, Israel? Did you know that his mother is a holocaust survivor?
I really gained a lot of respect for Gene after learning these things. About how his father left him and his mother in Israel, and his mother's story in enduring the holocaust at 14 years old. Her story was amazing and in thinking about all of the holocaust survivors that I've had the privilege to hear from, a strong thought and emotion took over in my head:
The fact that the generation that endured the holocaust will soon be gone from this earth is a scary thought. The fact that it will be up to us to carry on their stories is frightening to say the least. How many stories have we lost already? How many stories were never even told? How many grandchildren never had the chance to sit down with their grandparents to ask them, "What was life like when...?"
Do yourself and our future generations a favor:
Take a moment out of your busy life, listen to someone's story, and find your Unlikely Heroes.
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