The 128 most classic philosophical essays in the world

Chapter 15
[United States] David Cornings

Meeting a stranger and starting a relationship is one of the most interesting parts of life.

I couldn't believe my eyes, and looked again at the staff task board in the newspaper office: David Cornings—Interviewing Eleanor Roosevelt.

It's just an unreasonable idea: I have only been a member of the "Western News" newspaper for a few months, and I am still a "novice" who is just fledgling.Maybe it was a typo, so I ran to find the responsible editor.

It was an October day in 1960, and the campus of Western Illinois University was extraordinarily alive: Homecoming was approaching.I finally found him and he was busy.

"I saw the task card in the office just now, and I think someone must have made a mistake." I paused, feeling in the way, "It said that I wanted to interview Mrs. Roosevelt who visited our college."

The editor in charge stopped what he was doing and smiled at me: "No mistake. We appreciated your performance in interviewing that Professor Harwood. Now, we want you to take on a more important task. Just report your interview the day after tomorrow. Just drop it off at my office. Good luck, lad!"

"Good luck!" said lightly.That's fine if one's playing football or rehearsing a play or something.But I was sent to interview the wife of the former president, a world-famous figure!Eleanor Roosevelt not only spent years with Franklin D. Roosevelt, but also achieved success and fame.And I'm going to interview her!

I hurried straight to the library, plunged into the pile of books, and spent an entire hour looking for what I needed.I mastered them word for word and sentence by word, sucking on spiritual nourishment eagerly, and even forgot to eat.

The bookcase is full of cards.I carefully placed the questions in order so that at least one of them was different from anything she had answered before.Finally, I finally have a plan in my chest.It was night, and when I returned home excitedly, I couldn't wait for the upcoming interview.

My conversation with Mrs. Roosevelt took place in a particularly chic and elegantly furnished room in the Student Union Center.When I entered, the 75-year-old lady was already seated, but as soon as she saw me, she got up and shook my hand.Her burly figure, sharp eyes, and kind smile left an indelible impression on people.

After I sat down next to her, I took the lead in asking what I thought was a unique question:

"Madam, who do you find most interesting among the people you have met?"

This question is really well asked, and I have already estimated the answer, and I have listed a long list of names.Whether she answered Roosevelt, her husband, or Churchill, or Helen Keller, or Eisenhower, I could ask a number of questions in quick succession about her choice of characters.Yes, I do not fight unprepared.

Mrs. Roosevelt smiled: "David Cornings." I didn't expect her answer, "Yes, I will definitely choose you: David Cornings."

I couldn't believe my ears.Pick me?What are you kidding?
"Well, ma'am," I finally managed, "I don't understand what you mean."

"Meeting a stranger and starting a relationship is the most interesting part of life," she says with emotion. The degree of being shy. Then I forced myself to welcome others into my world—forced myself to live, and finally realized how invigorating it is to make new friends.”

My one-hour interview with Mrs. Roosevelt came to an end in the blink of an eye.She put me at ease right from the start.Throughout the interview process, I was free and satisfied.

My coverage of Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt's interview was published and won the National Student Journalism Award.However, the most important thing is the philosophy of life put forward by Mrs. Roosevelt, which I later quoted as my motto-go to life.

Going to life and making new friends has given value to my life and added joy.

Heart mark notes
Towards life, this is a positive attitude towards life.Many times, you feel lonely, not because the world has abandoned you, but because you have isolated the whole world.Life is full of accidents, "meeting and starting a relationship with a stranger is the most interesting part of life", life is composed of a series of experiences, especially the communication between people, It is a gradual development from ignorance to awareness, which is also the beginning of a person's new life and the expansion of social life.

Therefore, don't close yourself, don't reject others, don't reject the world, and always keep a kind of freshness and curiosity about life and the world.Let go of yourself, go to life, cherish old friends, and make new friends. Only in this way can life become more colorful.

(End of this chapter)