One of my personal heros and role models died today.

Ann Richards, Former Governor of Texas, lost her battle with esophageal cancer at 73.

She was at once nail-tough and achingly humane, both towering icon and touching, fallible, human being.  She showed the world that women could play hard-ball in the rough and tumble field of Texas politics, in a gubernatorial race that couldn’t have been harder or tougher.  She gave the working woman her mantra, by resurrecting the Faith Whittlesey quote –  “Remember, Ginger Rogers did everything Fred Astaire did, only backwards and in high heels.” 

Only she didn’t do everything her male predecessors did.  She did a lot more.  Breaking racial and gender barriers in Texas public service, overhauling both the state’s education system and it’s male-dominated cowboy image.  And she did it in all in four years, before losing her re-election race to George W.

 A reformed hard-drinker, she celebrated her 60th birthday by getting her motorcycle license.

 And what would she have done differently?

 “Oh, I would probably have raised more hell.”

Thanks, Ann, for putting a little of the devil in all of us.