Hats Off to Helen
My friend Susan visited the office today to join the LLWL Gang* (for lunch, of course), and mentioned that she read a short Q&A with Helen Thomas in a recent Vanity Fair, Proust Questionnaire: Helen Thomas.
As my most loyal (and pretty much only) blog fan, she knows I'm a big admirer of Helen Thomas, see, e.g., Thomas the Terrible and No Gentle Good Night for Her. She said as she read the interview, she was reminded of me (I'll assume she wasn't referring to the "old Arab" Ann Coulter line).
I will say that it's probably true that I do share many of Thomas' interests and values.
Here are my favorite questions and answers:
What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?
Timidity when I should have spoken up. Missed opportunities.
What is the trait you most deplore in others?
Cruelty. Lack of heart and soul.
What is your greatest extravagance?
Wardrobe.
What do you consider the most overrated virtue?
Silence—when words were needed.
On what occasion do you lie?
I prefer "No comment." It's not necessary to lie.
Which living person do you most despise?
Dislike, not despise. Those with a lack of compassion for their fellow man and the downtrodden.
What is your greatest regret?
Not studying enough, not reading enough.
What or who is the greatest love of your life?
All the great and inspired people who crossed my path.
If you were to die and come back as a person or thing, what do you think it would be?
A deeper, more interesting, thinking person.
What is your most treasured possession?
Good memories, long friendships, and beloved music.
What is your most marked characteristic?
Directness. The shortest distance between two points is a straight line.
What do you most value in your friends?
Compassion and good conversation.
How would you like to die?
With my boots on.
What is your motto?
"Know when you are happy. Know yourself. Know your enemy. Ask not for whom the bell tolls."
Now Susan would say that we both share wardrobe as an extravagance, but I have to say that jewelry is the ultimate extravagance for me (and I don't think Helen is far behind on that one either).
And I the motto works for me as well.
* LLWL = Lady Lawyers Who Lunch (a/k/a my officemates)
UPDATE (4/15): Another Interview with Helen Thomas can be found at CorrenteWire, in which she discussed journalism and politics. Blogger chicago dyke, who conducted a phone interview, notes:
Ms. Thomas had two words to answer my question, ‘what is the biggest problem facing good government today?’ “Lousy leadership.” The follow up question about what is different today compared to when she first entered the business was hardly more reassuring. Back then, and unlike today, people understood the true meaning of public service, and followed in the tradition of Lincoln. People in previous governments have wanted to “make a contribution” and help “the sick, the poor, those without shelter” and had concern for issues like fairness and health care. She stressed that this isn’t found in the Beltway today, and she blames much of our current situation on Reagan, “when all this began.”
2 comments:
Whew, glad you found it. That saved me $.39.
I am sure I'm not your only blog fan. But please count me among your most devoted ones, as well as the same among your "real world" friends.
I posted a comment and I am in fact looking at, but the entry still sthows 0 comments. So much for mastering high tech.
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