Every once in a blue moon, you encounter a soul so purely creative and innovative that just being in their very presence is inspiring. I don’t just mean the kind of inspiring that gets your thoughts spinning and taps into your imagination. Instead, this sort of once-in-a-lifetime earth shattering force gets your creative juices flowing and doesn’t stop there. They inspire action. They inspire the fire that lights your pants and gets you up and going. They inspire you to share your efforts and to stand up and be noticed.
That was the kind of person my Uncle Irving was. His creativity was absolutely limitless, and watching him work was mind boggling.
One time I ran into him at the local library with a stack of books in his hands as he was leaving and walking to his car. His short explanation to me as we crossed paths was “I couldn’t figure out how to do something.” What a statement! Uncle Irving simply was not the type of person to give up and under no circumstances would accept defeat.
There are so many funny stories I could share about my uncle, but when I really think about writing this blog, it’s not the stories that I really want to pass along. I know that my family and friends will read this, and I think what I most want them to take away when they remember Irving Olson is this:
Absolutely anything that you dream of achieving is possible. Go give it your all and don’t let anybody tell you how to do it. It’s your dream, and you are its inventor.
He never said those words to me, but just being in his presence made me believe them. He didn’t have to say those words to me, because Irving Olson led by example.
The last time I used the song “Pure Imagination” for a blog post, it was a blog about Steve Jobs. Yes, my Uncle Irving was an elite innovator of the highest ranks.. He was Steve Jobs creative, and so…it is time to use this song again. I’ll give it a bit of a different twist though. Maroon 5 did a cover of “Pure Imagination” when Gene Wilder passed away a few weeks ago. It’s a well done cover, and AdamaLevine’s voice is perfect for it. So, here it is a new spin on a classic…enjoy!
End Note:
I wonder if I’ll ever use “Pure Imagination” again. Perhaps not, because this type of innovation only comes around once in blue moon. Uncle Irving passed away just shy of his 103rd birthday. I hope in the next century, we’ll encounter this rare breed again. One can only hope.
