I interviewed Bill Ferris yesterday. He’s an amazing man who has had an amazing career being the storyteller of storytellers. He grew up on a farm southeast of Vicksburg and has been honored internationally for his work as an author, educator and folklorist. What struck me the most about him was his interest in whomever he was talking to; he has a real gift of connecting with people. That’s a big reason why he has been successful. He was able to talk to people who would have probably walked past most of us. He looked for stories and then told them. And he’s still doing that.
My only regret about the interview is that I we only had a half hour. I could have talked to him all day.
One of the real blessings of doing the Conversations TV show is that it has allowed me to hear the stories of people from all walks of life. It’s like being able to read dozens of biographies, except you actually get face time with the subject.
Everyone has a story. We just need to slow down for a minute to listen. Even if it’s not that interesting, it still makes us grow a little bit.