"The Way to Crush the Bourgeoisie..."

I don't mean to brag, but I have a very cool dad. Most people know him as being the person who wrote the Mission Statement for NPR (National Public Radio), who was NPR's first Program Director, and who created the flagship show, All Things Considered. Not too long ago, someone asked me how I would describe my father in one sentence.

I thought for about half a minute, then answered, "He's spent most of his life trying to improve the lives of as many people as possible."

I still stand by my reply. Since leaving public radio, my father has travelled literally around the world, helping to create community radio stations in newly developed democracies. He's spent an enormous amount of time particularly in Mongolia, South Africa, and Eastern Europe. He works tirelessly for funding for DRP, Developing Radio Partners.

During our recent trip to Philadelphia, Dad and I sat on his sofa, going through stacks of photos from our respective travels. Mine not so exotic as his. As he glanced sideways at a picture in my hand and he nodded his head.

"Lenin."

"What?"

"The statue of Lenin. In front of St. Basil's Cathedral."

I stared at the photo. It was my son, Thomas, in front of the statue of Walt Disney (and Mickey Mouse) in front of Sleeping Beauty's castle in Disneyland. I couldn't help bursting out with laughter. I mean, the concept of confusing Walt Disney, visionary and successful capitalist, with Vladmir Lenin, revolutionary leader of the former communist USSR, seemed hysterical to me.

"Look," Dad protested, "Really, if you're just looking at it from this angle..."

OK, I could kind of see his point. Though I still can't figure out who he thought Lenin's short sidekick could have been. It's a small world after all.