BARBARA WALTERS

What can I say about Barbara Walters that you haven't heard? Like you, I have watched her change -- grow older, gracefully share and relinquish her role as the wise leader/boss on "The View."

And continue to do what she has always done -- ask the questions we want to ask.

I would trust her to answer any probing, too personal questions I might ask about how she looks and feels about herself right now. I know she'd search for the truth with me.

The tributes, the glimpses of some of her super interesting interviews with super celebrities, the story of how she got to be what she is right now, are interesting, but I am not very interested. I am somewhat bored by the media's to do over her retirement.

She, herself, the woman we have met on television, has a way of removing herself -- being absorbed in the discussion, but not making herself or her opinion the focus. So I find myself, in my writing, attempting to do what she does.

Barbara isn't exciting to look at. Twenty years ago, her looks, her name and stature compelled us to see her as a celebrity, but she didn't do things or announce things that were happening to her. We just saw her handle very famous people -- engage with them, get them to reveal themselves and their passionate concerns -- she somehow made others feel that her mind and her arms were open.

Yes, Barbara W. is very feminine and nice looking, but I couldn't describe her. bosom, hips or waist size, or her legs or her face. I like her eyes -- are they large? Her hair do -- hard to remember, wasn't it was straight hair with no curls for a while, then short hair, more or less curly as the blond, reddish color changed?

What she wears -- has it changed? I don't remember shorter or longer skirts, or spike heels, or very pale or dark lips or eye shadow, eye liner. and massacred lashes.

No -- Barbara has played a part -- the same part, throughout the time that I have watched her -- we see her curious, interested, wondering about the interviewees.

My tribute to her -- I learned by what she has done and said, how important it is to be yourself -- speak your mind.

Hurray for you Barbara.  I certainly learned a lot from you.

I am picking this interview with Dave Letterman because he's retiring (and having announced it, is somehow, suddenly less interesting), but the ease, the graciousness of you and of Dave in this show, had me celebrating you, and smiling throughout the conversation.