Yes, yes, I know that today was when Newton Minow received the Presidential Medal of Freedom. And that his other fellow-recipients included Tom Hanks, Bruce Springsteen, Bill and Melinda Gates, Michael Jordan, and many more. But for me, this is what was what made the day special --
That's my longtime friend, the oft-mentioned here Nell Minow. You can tell which one -- the beaming smile gives it away. And that's her mother Jo to her right. (I keep having family overlaps with the Minows. My Aunt Joan was in the same sorority as Jo Baskin -- yes, from the Baskin-Robbins family -- at Northwestern. And my dad was Newton Minow's physician and poker playing buddy. And Nell's husband David Apatoff, a highly-regarded attorney, as well as artist, grew up down the block from me in Glencoe, Illinois -- we were on the north side of town, Nell on the south.) All of which is why I prefer to consider this Nell's day. Awards come and go, but it's not often one's father gets the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Okay, not all awards are created equal, and Newton Minow getting the Presidential Medal of Freedom is pretty swell on its own merits. But I'm still defaulting to Nell.
There's another sister in that picture, but as befitting being the oldest of three sisters, Nell is using her right to block her out. You can sort make out her glasses at Nell's right ear -- and she did pop out momentarily on camera sitting between Nell and their mother -- but oldest sisters apparently really do rule.
Anyway, while the rest of the public honors Newton Minow and all the other recipients, I get to be thrilled for my friend and honor her, because it's my website.
So there.
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