Lab #14-Letter to Hero

Lab #14 required us to write a letter to a real life hero, saying why they are our hero. Khara is all about Cyndi Lauper, so we decided to use and send her hero letter for this post:



Dear the truly inspiring Cyndi,

This will probably be just one of a zillion ordinary fan letters that you get and I’m sure you’re farr too busy to read it, but for some reason I’ve decided to write it anyways! Maybe it’s because I have that stupid little classic Hollywood dream that you will read this and be soo moved and excited that you just MUST come meet this girl with the letter! Pfff….“a girl can dream, can’t she?!”

I am 15 years old and I swear I am most definitely one of your most hugenormous fans ever! (not physically, of course.) I’ve always enjoyed being different and expressing myself through the way I dress. I’m from little old Morehead City, on the coast of boring North Carolina where everyone goes to hang out at the “Dunes Club” in their locoste shirts (that they have in every shade and color) and Sperry topsiders. (gag me with a spoon!). I guess I just got tired of changing who I was for other people and decided I’d “let my true colors shine through” and just be the way I wanted.

My 8th grade year, I had the most amazing English teacher ever. She was a classic 80’s child, like most of your fans (I should have been living then…). One day I came into school with a new exciting T-shirt on that said, “I see your true colors shining through”. At that time I didn’t even know that it was a song…I just thought, “what a great phrase!!” She randomly broke into singing it and told me about how this girl named Cyndi Lauper sang it. We went on the computer and she showed me the video and my first thought was, “This is the single most incredible thing I have ever seen!” I went out and got the first cd by you that I could find: “The Body Accoustic”. I listened to it every minute I could and eventually had all of your other albums. You’ve become my total inspiration.

I look up to you for never conforming and always being true to yourself. You’ve never cared how crazy people may think you are for taking a chance and being different-you just keep going, strong and standing up for the things you believe in. Your songs pump me up when I’m excited and give me comfort whenever I’m down. All of their messages are truly beautiful and really speak to me. There’s just something about you..such amazing energy and enthusiasm. You make me proud to stand out and really express myself.

This past summer, I received a call from that great English teacher and she told me that you were on tour and wanted to know if I wanted to go with her to the True Colors Tour. I completely freaked. After running around the house yelling and flipping out, I called her back and told her I would loveee to go, not only because you’re my absolute hero, but also because gay rights and hate crimes are an issue I feel very strongly about. So, we took a great road trip from good old NC to Colombia, Maryland, of course jamming out to “She’s So Unusual” the whole way there. It was the night of the concert and we were all primped, accessorized and ready to go. As we were walking out of the hotel, I noticed someone standing outside of the hotel with amazing purple hair and a warm-up suite and sun glasses. I didn’t think anything of it (except for how great the hair was) until we got a little bit past them and then I realized this person was signing a guitar. Suddenly, my teacher and I just stopped, our jaws dropped, and we just stared. We were in complete and total shock because we realized that this person was YOU! It wasn’t until you were off into the hotel that we finally came back to a conscious state. We looked at each other and just freaked…and then yelled “dammit”, knowing we missed you! We didn’t want to bother you either, knowing you had to a concert to do soon! The whole night at the hotel, after the concert (incredible by the way) we pathetically looked all around for you and stayed down stairs in the lobby, hoping you’d be coming in. This wasn’t a total waste-We got to meet Andy from Erasure, which was way cool! The next morning, I knew you’d probably already flown out to do more of the things that a person as amazing as you does. I decided it was ok because I could say that I had stayed in the same hotel as my hero, Cyndi Lauper! But, of course I still regret not talking to you or at least asking you to sign something! All of my friends knew how much I love you and when I told them that I was like 5 feet away from you, they just said, ”What? Why didn’t you talk to her? That’s horrible!” and I’d just go into explaining that I was really in SHOCK. I swear I couldn’t move or talk because I was so pathetically star struck! I’ve never regretted something so much! I’m sure I’ll never get such an opportunity ever again. You know, I always said that I’d never go crazy over a celebrity or famous person, but boy, are you an exception. But, even if you weren’t famous and I just knew you, you’d still probably be my hero. Even if you couldn’t sing as beautifully as you do, you’d be my hero. It’s what you stand for that’s just so amazing: living life for what you believe, being anything you want, and not giving a damn about what anyone might think!!

I am currently studying saxophone at the NC School of the Arts, as a sophomore in the high school program. It is a great place, where I get to be with other growing artists like myself. It’s such a beautiful school and I’m sure you would think it was amazing!

Even if you aren’t the person reading this right now, it hasn’t been a complete waste. I got to write about my hero, the person I look up to and admire. Maybe someday when I’m grown and doing whatever I’m meant to do, I’ll be able to get this letter out and read it and remember you and how wonderfully crazy you are, how much you’ve inspired me, and how much of an impact you’ve had on who I am!

Thanks so much for all of the inspiration and forever a fan,
Khara Kowalski