August 2009 Newsletter
Online Issue # 22
In this Issue:
See also, the print-friendly version of
this newsletter (all the articles are on one web page).
Look for the next issue in
December.
The Front Page
My Unlikely Role Model
“And that's the way it is.”
Walter Cronkite
1916-2009
I've appreciated reading remembrances which appeared soon after the death of Walter Cronkite on July 17 at the age of 92. I'm one of the children who grew up listening to Mr. Cronkite almost every night on the CBS Evening News. Thinking back, it's not images that I remember. It's the familiar sound of his voice—calm, steady, knowing—the memorable voice of someone who could be counted on to be there, night after night.
I heard snippets of Cronkite's voice played in the days following his death, and again during a special program observing the 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing. What surprised me, both times, was how precisely I remembered his voice, even before hearing the recordings. Somewhere in the recesses of my memory, that voice had etched its pattern.
Thinking back to the evening news of the ‘60s, I've realized what a powerful role model I witnessed in Walter Cronkite. For me, and many others, it wasn't what Cronkite did as much as the way he did it. Each evening as he worked, Cronkite modeled integrity. No wonder that in 1972 a national poll referred to him as the “most trusted man [voice] in America.”
Even though my professional aspirations never included becoming a television news anchor or managing editor, Cronkite's work powerfully affected me. Walter Cronkite showed up, focused intently on the task at hand, and did it splendidly. He relied on his respected presence, distinctive voice, and thoughtful manner to talk through the news of the day. Several of the pieces I've read about Cronkite's life reminded me that, from today's vantage point, it's easy to overlook what a pioneer he was in the field of broadcast journalism.
It's occurred to me that there are ways in which the work I've chosen is not that far removed from the work I saw Cronkite performing. My primary tools are a table and chairs. I show up expecting to enter into uncharted conversation, sometimes feeling like a pioneer. My own presence is key to creating a place of safety and acceptance where the important things of life can be witnessed. Integrity is a touchstone for listening to the heart of another. There might be more, but these are the discoveries I've made so far.
These few connecting threads offered up an unexpected and exciting insight: Here was someone whose work had positively influenced my own, even though I had no clue this was occurring, night after night on the CBS Evening News, all the way back in the 1960's.
Thank you Mr. Cronkite for being a role model for me—for perfecting your gifts in the way you did—so that I could begin the process of discovering and offering my own gifts, and then go on to guide others in the discovery and expression of theirs.
With gratitude,
Laurie Mattila
go to the next newsletter page
>>
|
