Honest Modesty

So I went to lunch with Ted Kooser yesterday. My department chair won a lunch for four people with him, and I was among the group that got to go and hang out with the former poet laureate. And the first thing that I noticed and what is sticky with me the longest was how darn humble that man is. As a writer, I feel it a challenge to not be excited about my writings, even if I know they're not astounding. But here's a man who has won a Pulitzer, served two terms as National Poet Laureate, and lives in a dinky little town north of Lincoln that loves eating at the cafe in town. He works in a little building that he bought for $1,000 where he spends his days, reading, writing, painting, and/or napping. But when we talked to him, he always directed our attention to the town and people around him. With his paintings (which are quite good), he smiled as he told us that he would never try to sell them, but paints for his own sake and sometimes just gives them away. He has a way about him to truly bring out the charm of a small town, and it made me want to live in a tiny place (maybe Lander, Wyoming, as my wife would love).

You rock, Ted.