What can I give a person that has in return given me so much for so long? With him in my life, I never felt alone. He wrote to me every Thursday morning in the Times-Picayune, piquing my curiosity and educating me on a myriad of subjects that included everything from the birth of the universe to the literary works of E. E. Cummings to the intelligence of animals to, of course, landmark cinema. I therefore consider it a privilege to honor Roger Ebert by writing to him as he has faithfully continued to write to me all these years.
Throughout my youth, I never knew what I wanted to be when I grew up. I envied those around me who found their callings early. Among a few of the talents I felt I possessed was that of writing. My English teachers tried their best to encourage me but I just wasn't inspired. Reflecting on my life, I believe what I was missing was a tutor with a unique vision and an incomparable ability to translate that vision to words. Enter Roger Ebert. He didn't just critique a film. He gave it a heartbeat. He made it personal. Through his entries, both film reviews and personal journals, I was invariably exposed to great but-often-forgotten actors and actresses, film directors, history, music, art, radio, literature, famous speeches, plants, the universe and even proper etiquette within a given scenario. Being an only child and one who also grew up without the everyday presence of my father, his education and wisdom bestowed unto me was, and continues to be, invaluable. Through Roger's influence, I not only learned how to be a better writer but also a more well-rounded individual.
I've always attempted to live my life through basic principles, one of them being to always leave the world in a better place than when you found it. Live with intense passion and touch the souls of all of those who surround you by continually educating yourself, teaching and inspiring. Throughout my life, Roger Ebert, you taught me the ever-precious virtue of seeing things without my eyes; to truly absorb the majesty and wonder of this world with all of my senses. You taught me to be inquisitive, to ask all the difficult questions in pursuit of the truth and greater understanding. You taught me to be unyielding in the face of adversity and to always finish strong. You taught me how to be a better human being, to embrace life with integrity and dignity, to be selfless and to be pure of heart. Roger, you left me with the greatest of gifts but perhaps the greatest of them all is the ability to share what I've learned from you with those coming after me.
I leave you with the closing paragraph of the Chicago Sun-Times' article on Roger Ebert's legacy, as I believe it embodies the magic of not only a brilliant writer but a beautiful teacher to all of us: "Kindness covers all of my political beliefs," he wrote, at the end of his memoir, "Life Itself." "No need to spell them out. I believe that if, at the end, according to our abilities, we have done something to make others a little happier, and something to make ourselves a little happier, that is about the best we can do. To make others less happy is a crime. To make ourselves unhappy is where all crime starts. We must try to contribute joy to the world. That is true no matter what our problems, our health, our circumstances. We must try. I didn't always know this and am happy I lived long enough to find it out." read more
