There Aren't Very Many Days When...

You pick up your phone and Tom Brokaw is on the other end asking you for directions. But that's exactly what happened yesterday afternoon.

I was scheduled to interview him for a magazine piece to be published later this year, and he called to confirm the location and see about the best way to get there. On my best days, I'm not sure I could march an army down a straight road, but somehow I managed to choke out the correct route.

I was a bit up-tight about the interview, but as soon as I sat down with him, I went into autopilot, more or less, and managed to ask most of the questions from the list I'd been editing for the past five days.

Throughout the experience, I found him to be gracious and humble, and patient. He listened carefully, and provided thorough, thoughtful answers. It was amazing to see firsthand some of the aspects of his personality and professionalism that have made him one of the most successful and revered journalists in the world.

Today, I'll review the recording and start jotting down some notes for the article. There will be time to write strange fiction later.

Sometimes, real life is strange enough.