What Elmo and Mandela have in Common

Motho ke motho ka motho yo mongwe.

A person is a person through other people.

I'm a big fan of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. However, along with the rest of humanity, I always feel strapped for time.  Thus I generally only watch the first few clips of the show (mainly the comedy sketches) and skip over the interview at the end.

A week or two ago, after receiving a tip from a friend, I decided to break from my normal routine and watch the interview with Kevin Clash, the puppeteer for Elmo.  It's definitely worth a watch.

One of my biggest takeaways from the interview (beyond the exciting realization that Clash is a native Baltimorean) was the acknowledgement that Clash gave to the mentors in his life.  The fluidity of how he recognized those who had a significant impact on his journey and career path gave me a deep sense of humility and gratitude.  I interpreted this modesty as a natural infusion in the life of a seemingly kind and incredibly passionate individual.

I was then reminded of someone I admire who has a completely different story.  A few years ago I made a cursory stab at reading Nelson Mandela's autobiography Long Walk to Freedom.  A few chapters in I realized I needed to give the book more of my attention, so I stashed it away to read later.  But my short reading of the first few chapters stuck with me.  The biggest thing I noted was how Mandela spent the bulk of his (initial pages at least) writing on the role others played in his life.

Evidence: "He was a patient and generous teacher, and sought to impart not only the details of the law but the philosphy behind it." (p. 73)  Or "I had the privilege of meeting tribal leaders from all over southern Africa." (p. 83) Or "I have mentioned many of the people who influenced me, but more and more, I had come under the wise tutelage of..." (p. 95)
...and I found all of these quotes in the time-frame of a rushed, two-minute skimming of the chapters I read three years ago, so you can imagine that there are countless others...

All this to say, the impact that mentors have on our lives keeps returning to the forefront of my mind and manifesting itself in different conversations and experiences over the past few weeks.  To flesh out this idea further, I've been thinking about the countless mentors that have made an indelible mark on my journey.  Although there are numerous people, I feel a need to spend a bit more time giving this thought stream it's due-diligence by acknowledging and reflecting on the role some specific people have played in my life.  So.

More soon.

{@The High Line in NYC}