There really is nothing more important to methan striving to be a good human being. So, to be here tonight andbe acknowledged as the first to receive this honor is beyondexpression in words for me.
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We all are just regular people seeking the samething — we all just want to know that we matter. We wantvalidation. We want the same things. We want safety and we want tolive a long life. We want to find somebody to love. We want to findsomebody to laugh with and have the power and the place to cry withwhen necessary.
The greatest pain in life is to be invisible.What I’ve learned is that we all just want to be heard. And Ithank all the people who continue to let me hear your stories, andby sharing your stories, you let other people see themselves andfor a moment, glimpse the power to change and the power totriumph.
Maya Angelou said, “When you learn, teach. Whenyou get, give.” I want you to know that this award to me meansthat I will continue to strive to give back to the world what ithas given to me, so that I might even be more worthy of tonight’shonor.