I’ve lived in New York City for a decade, so I’ve gotten the chance to see some celebrities on the street. (Apologies to Matthew Broderick for the time I saw you on 21st Street and stared so much that you pretended to check your phone until I walked away. My bad.)
But one of my favorite recurring celebrity sightings was Jimmy McMillan — who you might remember as the Rent Is Too Damn High guy. He lived a block away from me in the East Village, and I regularly walked past him on the street. With such unique facial hair, he was easy to recognize. I often saw him wearing a T-shirt with his logo, which was a drawing of his own facial hair.
Thanks to “Saturday Night Live,” McMillan became a bit of a caricature in popular culture. Most saw him as a one-issue candidate with a memorable look.
But when I think of McMillan, I think of a guy who was unapologetically himself. (All these years later, he’s still pushing the issue of affordable housing forward, and as a New York City resident paying rent, I can’t help but agree with him.) He figured out who he was and what he cared about, and leaned into it.
Remember: It’s easy to blend in with the crowd. It’s easy to be afraid to stand out.
Every time I think about taking that easy route, I think about all those times I saw McMillan out in my old neighborhood, loudly and proudly himself. There’s only one of you; you might as well be whoever you are.
———
That photo of Jimmy was taken back in 2009 by Matt Law, and is used here thanks to a Creative Commons license.