Just a few minutes ago Ann Curry of the Today Show (along with Al Roker) was interviewing Ted Williams, the (formerly) homeless man turned instant celebrity. Ann Curry clearly had a pre-defined set of questions she wanted to ask the man, and she set out to do just that. She was asking questions, he was answering. Al was chiming in, and the interview was going well.
In the midst of all the questions, Ted Williams, before drawing a breath to answer yet another question, expressed as a side note just how he couldn't believe this was really happening to him. Had he continued with his answer to whatever question had been asked, the interview would have continued on just fine and been very inspiring at its 50 m.p.h. pace. But Ann didn't let that happen.
Ann, in her instinctive wisdom, sensed there was a bigger story in bringing the questions to a screeching halt and going with the moment. No doubt, she had so many more questions for Ted Williams, but in that moment she became less of a reporter and member of the media and more of a caring, perceptive human being truly relating to the subject of her interview on a personal level. She encouraged him to just stop and talk about how he was feeling. She listened to him, her body language said she felt protective of him. THIS is what I'd like to see more of in the media. More actual human interest in the human interest stories and less canned Q.&A.
Suddenly, this went from a question and answer session that would merely have informed us of the facts surrounding Ted Williams' life (most of which we've all already heard by now) and turned into a really powerful conveyance of just what has happened in this man's life on a deep personal and emotional level. It's the difference between talking about peanut butter and tasting it.
He is overwhelmed. He, as a recovering alcoholic and addict, says that he "could sure use a sedative right about now". He talked about a counselor N.B.C. had put him in touch with who helped him with some breathing exercises and how he is learning to deal with the intense stress of what is happening to him (good stress is still stress) and doing his best to maintain his sobriety.
Yes, it's nice to hear details about what he hopes to accomplish in his life, how he became homeless, his struggle with addiction, blah blah blah. But it's SO much nicer to let the public realize just how REAL the stress is for anyone attempting to cope with an addiction or a compulsion, regardless of how devastating or how wonderful the circumstances of their lives may be. THAT is the real story here.
Ted Williams may end up with a wonderful job and a wonderful home and a wonderful life, but his struggle will continue. No matter how much love the public sends to this man, no matter how many job offers he gets, no matter how many people are rooting for him, he and he alone must take things step by step and hopefully manage to make the best of the good fortune that has befallen him, and it will not be easy.
I say this not to bring anyone down from the high a story such as this tends to give. I say it to remind everyone that if you are facing difficult circumstances in your life and you are NOT also struggling with an addiction or compulsion, understand that your struggles will always be easier than any one day in Ted Williams' life, regardless of how wonderful things may seem to be going for him.
The other side of this story is that, when you feel compelled to do something, whether it's to take a photo or write something down and share it, you need to DO it, because had Doral Chenoweth III not shot the video he did and put it on YouTube, none of this would have happened.
It's nice to see that America has reached out to this formerly homeless man and given him the opportunity to use his talents to change his life. There are many more like him out there in the cold who will not get such an opportunity, and some of them wouldn't be able to handle it even if they did. Some of them are so deeply entrenched in their lives as they are that they stand a better chance of surviving as homeless people than they would as instant celebrities or even as minimum wage workers living a status quo life. That is their reality.
Ann Curry has done a very good job of allowing Ted Williams to share his current reality with the world. Regardless of his past, and whatever the future may bring, Ted Williams is having a difficult time breathing right now, and that says more than any question and answer could ever convey.
Human interest stories don't always show genuine human interest beyond the story. Ann Curry broke the rules and changed all of that, even if only for a moment.
Thanks, Ann!
A.
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