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In Search of Eloquence
I got my first job as a radio announcer when I was 16 years old. Since 1998 I have hosted a television show. A microphone thrust in my face is rarely cause for alarm. At least most of the time.
To a New York Times reporter I once said, “Other than the Mormons, the Restoration Movement is the only Christian fellowship with American roots.” Yep, you read it right. I identified the Mormons as a “Christian fellowship.” I also identified our roots as “American” as opposed to “Christ-centered” or “biblical.” Fortunately the reporter did not print my reply.
I did not realize I had said anything wrong until my wife pointed it out later. “Why didn’t you say something?” I asked. She answered, “I didn’t want to make you look stupid!” It is not the only time she has said that to me.
Back in my days with Christ In Youth, I was interviewed by a reporter from an Ohio television station. Answering a question about my music team, I said, “We’re not a Christian group. We’re just a group that’s Christian.” He asked me to elucidate. I continued, “Well, we’re Christian, but we’re not a Christian group.” The reporter gave up and moved to another line of questioning.
On one rather memorable occasion, in a live interview with WCBS-TV in New York, I spoke nonsense for about 45 seconds. The camera had zoomed in on my wife and our infant Indian daughter, the subject of the interview. Our son, Jonathan, about 4 at the time, could see the monitor and realized he was no longer in the picture. He started jumping up and down trying to get his face on the screen. Distracted, I answered a question the reporter had not even asked. Very impressive.
Whenever those memories get too much for me, I remember the late Walter Cronkite. He spoke these brilliant words when the Apollo 11 Lunar Module landed at Tranquility Base: “Phew! Wow, boy! Man on the moon!” Now that’s eloquence!
Cronkite did redeem himself. When the astronauts safely returned to earth he marked the occasion with this thoughtful monologue: “Through all time, the moon has endured out there, pale and distant, determining the tides and the tugging of the heart. A symbol, a beacon, a goal. Now, man has prevailed.” Much better the second time around. Of course, he did have a few days to think about it.
I have noticed something about my news interviews. When I seek to impress with my erudition and on-camera presence, I tend to screw up. When I simply answer the questions I have been asked, all goes relatively well. Maybe I should take some instruction from that.
PREVIOUS COLUMNS:
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