Childhood Heroes

Of all of the cultural figures that populated my adolescent worldview (musicians, baseball players, and actors mostly) there is only one about whom my admiration has never lessened; Bill Cosby. As I got older I began to appreciate Cosby's talent more and more, even when I wasn't thrilled about much of the material involved, like The Cosby Show. Seeing Cosby perform his comedy live is a joy, and if you have never gone before I envy you. You still have the chance to experience the joy of it for the first time.

However, it isn't only Cosby's gigantic comedic gifts that have impressed me so much over the years. His public persona, which he has used to promote a variety of causes over the years, is also impressive. I'm sure I would find plenty of things to disagree with him about, but his thoughtful intelligence and humanity always trumped all else. Cosby can be tough without rancor or bitterness; he can point out problems without bitchiness; and he is someone who is as eager to learn as he is to teach.

I bring this up because of this nice little piece on Cosby helping out the fundraising efforts at Cardinal Glennon Childrens Hospital in St. Louis:

Two-year-old Warren Hund giggled shyly as Bill Cosby hunched down — inches from the boy's face — singing a song from the comedian's hit television show "Little Bill."

Warren didn't know much about the comic icon, but the boy recognized goofy when he saw it.

The funnyman paraded through Cardinal Glennon Children's Medical Center on Saturday afternoon to visit sick kids and make them laugh.

But his message was far more serious.

If a child has something wrong, Cosby said at a news conference, and if the child comes from a family that cannot afford treatment, the child can come to the hospital. "That's what we're raising the money for," Cosby said.

Cosby, 71, was in St. Louis for a fund-raiser Saturday night at the Blanche Touhill Performing Arts Center. The hospital expected to raise more than $500,000 to establish an endowment that will pay a new pediatrician's salary.

Now, in a sense I'm sure this was not such a big deal for Cosby. He has done scores of these types of shows before, but I believe that is part of what marks him as so special. This is his ordinary, and we are all the beneficiaries.