I had a chance last week to meet one of the bravest people I've ever spoken with. Her name is Elizabeth Eckford. And I'll never forget her.

Eckford was one of the Little Rock Nine, a group of black students who desegregated Little Rock Central High School in 1957. They had the support of the U.S. Supreme Court, but not their own governor. He called out the National Guard to stop them from going to the school.

Eckford was only 15 years old at the time. She was spat on, yelled at, and physically assaulted. I can't imagine going through that any any age, but to persevere as a teenager just amazes me. Her strength is truly inspirational.

I asked her what kept her from giving up, what kept her from staying home from school instead of putting up with all the abuse. First, she said if the other black students were showing up every day, she felt like she had to as well. But she also acknowledged that she realized that she had to do it for her race. A 15-year-old, self-described shy, passive girl, shouldering the civil rights struggle in America.

I'm fortunate in my line of work to meet a lot of people. Famous people. Interesting people. And yes, inspirational people. But Elizabeth Eckford will always stand out in my mind. Elizabeth, you are an amazing example of strength, grace and courage. America is a much better place because of you and the rest of the Little Rock Nine.

In William Shakespeare's play "As You Like It," one of the bard's better known soliloquies starts with the phrase "All the world's a stage..." If that's true, I had a bit of an international embarrassment over the weekend.

It happened at the Rhythm and Ribs festival in Kansas City on Saturday. Let me say that 99% of my time at the event was simply wonderful. This was the third year for the festival in the 18th and Vine district, and if you haven't made it out there yet, mark your calendar for next June. The food is fantastic and the music is even better. There's nothing like some cool jazz on a hot day. I hope Rhythm and Ribs becomes a long-lasting KC tradition.

Well, I certainly did my part to make this year's festival memorable. I had the honor of introducing the Javon Jackson Band on Saturday afternoon. But as I started to welcome the crowd, I fell off the stage. I'm not kidding. I actually stepped off the stage, but that doesn't make it any better. One moment I was speaking on stage and the next, I was standing on the ground, five feet below, out of sight for the hundreds in attendance.

I can only imagine what it must have looked like. Now for my excuse: There was a "skirt" hanging on the front of the stage. It makes the stage look nice, hiding the underbelly. However, the wind on Saturday was lifting up that skirt, which was the same color as the stage itself. I thought it was an extension of the stage, but quickly found out otherwise when I stepped on it and realized there was nothing but air underneath it. Fortunately, I wasn't hurt (except for my pride.) Amazingly, I landed on my feet. I didn't try to crawl back up on the stage at that point. Instead, I talked to the audience and introduced the act from the security fence in front of the stage.

The crowd was very nice about the whole thing. They cheered when I jumped up after my fall. They also cheered when I asked if they wanted to see me perform another act of amazing agility. They got a good laugh, but they were kind about it.

You know, jazz artists are among the coolest people you'll ever meet. They're often suave and debonair. Obviously, that's one of the many reasons I'm not a jazz musician. After this weekend, no one will ever accuse me of being suave ever again.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and much the same can be said of art. What one person considers to be a moving piece of artwork can seem like nothing more than some paint splotches to someone else. There's been a lot of discussion about whether the new addition to the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City is beautiful or not, and once again, it all comes down to the perspective of the person looking at it.

I had a chance to visit the new Bloch Building on Sunday during the grand opening weekend. I can tell you that even as the debate about the outside of the structure continues, there's much less concern about the inside. The Bloch Building is simply a gorgeous place to look at art. It's modern, yes, but dazzling as well. I'm not an architecture critic, but I know that I really enjoyed walking around the new addition. Kudos also to the museum's staff and volunteers who pulled out all the stops for the hundreds of people who came out for the grand opening.

So what about the outside? Well, I have to admit I'm still not so sure about it. In some ways it is a beautiful building, and while I visited during daylight hours, I can imagine it's incredible when lit up at night. But the Bloch Building just doesn't seem to fit in with the original building or the grounds around the museum. It does look a little bit like fancy storage or warehouse buildings.

Don't let that keep you away. Take some time to visit this new addition to the cultural fabric of Kansas City. I guess the best art stirs up emotions and brings out strong feelings, positive and negative. Decide for yourself. Visit the Nelson-Atkins Museum.

My, how time flies. One year ago this week, I experienced one of the best days of my life: my daughter, Kate, was born. It seems impossible that it's already been a year since she blessed our lives for the first time.

I've been off for the past couple of days to celebrate Miss Kate's first birthday. Of course, she didn't really grasp what was going on as people gathered at our house for the birthday party. But she was fascinated by the flame of the single candle on her pink cupcake and enjoyed tearing into the icing after the candle was blown out by her big brother.

This past year has been a time of adjustment for my wife and I as we switched from being the parents of one child to two. Kate is crawling now, which makes things all the more hectic around our house. However, as any parent will tell you, it's worth every busy minute. Kate has stolen my heart and I can't wait for all the many years ahead that I'm sure will be as exciting as this past one has been. Happy Birthday, sweetheart.