I Might Have A New Hero

From this past Sunday's Washington Post Magazine:

"Like Jane Scott, who retired a few years ago as the pop critic at the Cleveland Plain Dealer at age 82. Yes, 82. She was already in her forties when the Beatles came to town, and when she figured out that nobody at the paper had signed up to cover the event, she volunteered.

For parts of the next five decades, she went to hundreds of shows, always with her ticket pinned to her chest, so she wouldn't lose it, usually armed with a peanut butter sandwich in case she got hungry. She's met everyone -- Brian Wilson, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, to name just a few. When I asked her what kept her going, she brought up the Doobie Brothers, of all bands. At some point in the '70s, they came to town and toward the end of their set played that FM staple "Black Water." There's an a cappella moment in that song, and when it came, she explained, everyone in the building was locked arm in arm, swaying and singing.

"Until you've experienced that," she told me once, shaking her head, "you don't know anything."

For Scott, understanding the power of amplified pop was nothing short of the beginning of enlightenment."

Wow. That's one awesome lady.

Except for the Doobie Brothers. I don't quite get down like that. And I'm not so sure about the whole swaying and singing "Let's all be redeemed by the grand rock spectacle!" moment either.

But nevertheless, if I'm even alive at 82. you can bet your sweet ass I'm not gonna be rocking out at shows, packed sandwich or not.

So yeah, like I said: One awesome lady.