Jerry Falwell was an inspiration

Now there's a headline you wouldn't expect on this blog, but it's true. TV evangelist Jerry Falwell, founder of the "Moral Majority"** and the face of the "religious right,"** died today at 73.

This occasion gave me cause to examine my personal relationship with Jerry, which was best reflected in one of my favorite Halloween costumes.
Inspired by Falwell's 1999 outing of the purse-toting "Teletubbies" character, I was Tinky Winky for the day. (I'll try to find a photo, but that was pre-digital.)

I still laugh at my then-three-year-old daughter's objections to my using her purple purse as my "magic bag." And though I can't remember why I was walking downtown in full costume and broad daylight, the memory makes me smile. But my favorite part -- my moment of zen -- was the image on my tummy television: a picture of the Rev. Jerry Falwell.

** Their terms, not mine. I would argue that the "Moral Majority" is neither, and the "religious right" is wrong, but that's another post.