Love Letters

I want to write some love letters to my Worthwhile collegues and make them blush. I really was thinking how much I love and appreciate them. I'm going to walk around with it in my mind today and my heart and write them later, but I want to toss some stuff up here first -- just hors d'oeuvres.

Some small teases for starters:

Kevin Salwen -- he is a wonderful man, funny as shit, bright, creates a feeling of a whole village of fun and safety and knock-around playfulness in one phone call, but you don't miss that he is a solid tribal elder and you can go to him with anything and he has a great way of making you look at your concern in a new way. And -- I hate his guts for this -- is a wonderful writer.

Anita Sharpe -- what a little knockout this girl is. She has surprised me more than anyone related to Worthwhile. I'm falling for her fast, because, honestly she is such a southern lady-fied lady, you might take her for rather conservative, but she's radically thoughtful and considerate and imaginative, and never what you expect. We had the funniest phone call where I thought she'd find the Worthwhile blog a big unweildly unruly lacking-in-basic-manners medium and ask me to start reeling the thing in -- but au contraire, mes amis -- she was way ahead of me on how experimental a blog can be and SHOULD be. She blows my mind. Magnificently inspirational leader. Wonderful writer. Great colleague. Go Girl.

Boris Anthony -- working with Boris is a blessing and he's so old (older than me by 1000's of years) and so young, but smart as a whip. Does not get easily rattled. Has great artistic breadth. Has been everywhere. Knows when to talk. Knows when to be quiet. I'm trying hard to grow up and turn into Boris one of these days. Of course, has killer techy chops, but deliciously flavored with graphic design sophistication. Is funny as hell. Is able to deal with me (no small thing). Is a good man. Is a good friend. Speaks French. Understands my broken crazy French. Has the sexiest voice -- the reason I NEVER call him on the phone. Loves the right cheeses. Savors life. Rare person.

David Weinberger -- I could gush, but might restrain myself, because David hates it when I gush. I love love love love David. He's so David. Can be annoying when being the worry wart, but all sins are forgiven because he is a mega-mensch and good and reasonable and kind and insanely funny. What a fucking great writer. And he's very good at being married -- I love that about him. No flirty funny business ever, but of course this only makes him that much more stealthily sexy. David, you blushing? Not to worry. It's your big brain that gets me hot.

Tom Peters -- Whoa Nelly! Man oh man oh man. He's always got my leadership body and innovation brain in full workout mode at the gym. He challenges everything I ever think and makes me lift weights intellectually way beyond my usual settings. I'm pumping innovation iron that I didn't think I could handle with this guy. Intense. Oh yes. Generous and funny -- yeah yeah yeah. Alpha Male -- you betcha. Love his writing. Killer presentation style.

Rebecca Ryan -- Just getting to know her, but isn't she cool?! I like her very very much and want to go live in her town with her and in her world with her and I am honored she has the time to share those very things with us, up close and personal, on the blog. She gives good voice. On the day I got divorced and was shattered for the most part and could not write for Worthwhile, she wrote a wonderful piece and it made me so happy that day to see her stuff, I really appreciated it.

Kate Yandoh -- Of course, Kate and I know we are evil girl twins, she the dark daring brunette, me the spoiled nutty blonde. We keep finding out weird coincidences like we went to the same college and we think a lot of the same things and wait til she sees me dance -- I know she loves to dance, but wait til she hears how much I love to dance. Wait til she hears how I was almost became an Arthur Murray dance instructor but went to work for a software company instead, right after I graduated from college. Kate is young as a kid but hangs out with CEO's and started her own company a long time ago when she was a microkid. She is so cool. I have serious Yandoh Envy and she is such a great writer. What a super treat to know her. I love her black hair, especially since I'm blond and if she were blond, I'd just have to kill her instead of be friends with her.

David Batstone -- David is annoying me by writing such damned great stuff and having so much success and being so smart and doing fascinating interviews out of the blue with incredible people and hiding out on the West Coast, unwilling (wisely) to give me his IM address. It's a great thing to know him and I'm so glad some Worthwhile Angel steered him our way. I made him meet me and David Weinberger on a cold icy bench in a freezing cold park in Brookline one day a few months ago -- his trial by fire -- and he passed with flying colors and now I just think he's terrific.