Michael Moore

Did you ever admire someone for being just themselves? And trying really, really hard!

Michael Moore read at the Stanley Theatre tonight for a very long time. It was an indulgence for his audience. He made sure he let us know that he likes Canadians and that he knew something about the changes we are going through. Not the good ones. But he gave us more of his time than was expected or required. He stayed and signed every last book. He signed hundreds of books.

I was nearly at the end of the line and he spent just a little more time with us. He told us that he had to get back to Seattle tonight. It is three hours away if the border wait is good. He had already been detained at the Canadian Border once today. He was already really, really tired.

He did the nicest thing. He looked at me and said my name out loud and went to sign the book and then he said it again and stopped, looked up and just smiled at me. I thanked him and just smiled at him. He thanked me back. Big smile again. I kind of floated off and out the door. I was so very struck by his generosity and kindness to us all.

I felt very inspired by how fundamental he was. That his personal history was. That he understands his job and his responsibility to use his gift to communicate. That he works really, really hard. That he understands that we are all in this together and we each have something we can do to make change.

He talked about the war, the economy, Bush, Obama, and also about Harper. He talked about history and justice. Guns and medicare. Election process. All the things I wanted him to. He told funny stories about himself and awkward adolescence. But he also revealed his shyness and vulnerability and eagerness to please. His faux pas. His ability to shake it up.

His generosity astounded me. And I think that is really, really cool!

Now I just can't wait to climb into this book...

And I think I will wait to write to tell him something different than he said...Canadians do to have an assassinated Prime Minister in our past, that the KKK also thrived here once, that racism also exists in Canada, that we really aren't as nice as we used to be and that our current government is fighting to have our gun laws loosened., to let the oil men and bankers run amok, and to take away our precious medicare and change it to a for profit system.