Worldwide response to Susan Boyle represents new lesson for society: everyone has talents worthy of being offered, appreciated

I can't get enough of the Susan Boyle clip from "Britain's Got Talent", the first version of what became American Idol here in the states.

But the wonderful aspect of the British show is the absence of an age limit. And so a 47-year-old woman from Blackburn, Scotland, looking like Edith Bunker from the All In Family series, took the stage with snickers and rolled eyes from the audience and of course, Simon Cowell.

But her voice did all the talking, and she nailed "I Dreamed a Dream" from Les Miserables like she was part of the London or Broadway cast. I've only seen the Broadway version -- twice on Broadway. "I Dreamed a Dream" is always a show stopper for the breadth of emotion on the piece.

The moral of the Susan Boyle story is not everyone with talent has to have thin waistline, blonde hair and blue eyes. And they don't have to be in their 20s and 30s. If you haven't seen the clip, go to YouTube.com and plug in her name. It is well worth the watch over and over.

It inspires. It shows the power of the human spirit. This woman never really had a chance to pursue a career with her voice because she was busy taking care of her mother until she passed away recently. She built her voice singing Karaoke in the local pub.

For all of us, offer your talents. Join the choir, or some effort in your community. While you may not receive an ovation as Susan Boyle, you still will impress and inspire and make the world a better place with your presence.

Susan Boyle's gift is one that will be remembered with a smile for a very long time.