I must confess I’ve developed a blog crush on Hugh MacLeod. I can’t explain these crushes I have. I once had a crush on Scott Berkun, too, and read through pages of essays in his archives. They are just. so. good. Hugh’s cartoons are funny and often irreverent, yet with just a few words he communicates volumes. There are many layers beneath those few words, and many times I’m sure they can be interpreted differently by the reader than how the artist intended.
But to me, that is the mark of a great artist. I hope that when people read my essays, they are not only drawn in by my story, but can also see a bit of themselves, or identify with an emotion or situation.
Last week as I was checking my feeds, I noticed Hugh had posted a video of himself “yakkin on about social objects,” and my eyes widened. Anxiously I pressed play, and then all the air was let out. Perhaps it’s because I also have a crush on Eddie Izzard and LOVE his voice, but I just expected that because he lives in London he would have a British accent.
“Oh.” I said
“What?” said Bryan.
“I just played this video of Hugh, and he doesn’t have an accent.”
Bryan laughs and says, “No, he’s from New York, I think.”
So that was a minor disappointment. But as long as he keeps posting cartoons that make me whistle and say, “wow, that’s good,” he and I will be okay.