HERBIE'S HINTS (named after my dad!)
My dad was ruled by PRINCIPLE: his word was his word. I inherited that sometimes good and sometimes not so good characteristic from Herbie.
For Forum 360, my volunteer gig as host on PBS, I was looking forward to a conversation with Jeff Nussbaum, author of UNDELIVERED: The Never-Heard Speeches That Would Have Rewritten History.
I heard him speak in Cleveland and asked him to be a zoom guest.
He has guested on CNN, Morning Joe, and Washington Post Live to name a few national outlets. When he starts an interview he is Clark Kent. By the end of the interview he has transformed into Superman through his stories, and his articulate yet funny way of telling them. I was very excited for the upcoming opportunity.
He is and was a speechwriter with a front row seat to history. I couldn’t wait to ask him about the Checker’s speech, Chappaquiddick, I Have a Dream, as well as those speeches never delivered. I was very excited.
He answered my email and then handed me over to his PR person. The downward spiral began. We set up a date to tape; somehow the PR person was “on vacation” as the date arrived.
We re-scheduled. Then the studio was closed. Still forging ahead, I would conduct the interview from my office. Then the producer was called away and an intern was to take over. Biggest challenge, she didn’t know how to give me my time cues.
Finally I gave up; the interview was not going to happen that day. I threw myself on my sword, and begged for a future tape date. In principle we had a date and I wanted to do everything possible to keep that date. When do you call upon your grit and resolve and when do you pivot? I tried to follow Herbie’s principle.
