I was listening to NPR today, on the way home from the thrift store when I heard this story about a beloved homeless man, who passed recently, in Austin, Texas.
"An Austin, Texas, icon has died. Leslie Cochran was a cross-dressing peace activist and homeless advocate. Many say Cochran was the epitome of the slogan, "keep Austin weird.""
You can listen to the show now on All Things Considered, the audio will be posted at 7 pm.
http://www.npr.org/...
It brought a tear to my eye, to hear about someone loved so dearly, because they were just so damn weird.
I was especially touched, when I heard that this person, Leslie, had managed to be a voice for the homeless while sHe lived on the streets of Austin. What a dramatic statement that is, about the nature of personal power.
We should all be so lucky, to be celebrated for those qualities that really do stand out.
Jeez Leslie, I sure wished I could have met you with your feather boas, your rhinestones, and your thong bikini. You sound like someone who found joy where ever it happened to be, without reservation.
My kids and I had a driveway moment, listening to this radio-eulogy, giggling the whole time about the falsies and the thong, listening to the people who came to this person's funeral, wearing rhinestone tiaras; some even attended in full drag.
With all the greed, and meanness we see in the news everyday, it was a nice change to hear humanity make a rare appearance, and grace us with a moment of unconditional acceptance.