Growing

Bet this picture is familiar to you... It's the classic Che Guevara picture, which the world is using - or misusing - everywhere. (Now his family is fighting back!) Don't look like much, huh. So you wonder what everyone's so fascinated about.

I'm an admirer of Che Guevara (real name: Ernesto Guevara), a doctor by training. Even while he was still a medical student, he took his summer break to travel to a lepers' community to work with them. He was revolutionary even then, touching them with his bare hands when the nuns living with them were careful to touch them only when wearing gloves. While he is an icon of communism to others, I see him as a hero who was not afraid to demonstrate his genuine compassion for people, especially the common people, those who were really poor and needy. And his compassion compelled him to do revolutionary things. Like support Castro's communist plans, which he saw as simply a way to help the impoverished, rather than a political system as an end itself.

Yup, that's why I admire Che Guevara. Plus, he's a genius - even without a background in economics, he made great economic policies. Not to mention that he's immensely handsome, with a piercing, intense look. The Che pictures I really like are those from his youth:

Which makes you wonder, whatever happened to the man? From a Latino with movie-star looks, to that wild-haired, unkempt cave-man (of course, it's typical of a guerilla, but still...) Well, that iconic picture actually came from this photo taken at a Castro rally, taken by a guy named Korda. Later, some smart ass decided to crop out the rest of the surroundings, and embalm Che in graffiti-art. Poor Che. Graffiti art, even if it's first rate, doesn't do justice to a legend like Che.

I wonder - when I grow older, do I decline into similar wildness, or do I buck the trend and grow wiser and more beautiful? Most people I know fall into the first category. But I know the latter is possible only by the grace of God . Check out two people I know who grew more beautiful with age. Click here.