Hi,
My name is Amy and I am a reporter on my school newspaper.
On December 25, 2011, I conducted my first ever interview!
I have always had a dream of one day being a reporter. But my parents are accountants and I always figured that is what I would have to be. But a kind and caring person has shown me that everyone can choose their own path though life!
This is my interview with that caring individual and my Christmas present to him!
With love Amy
Interview with a man called Eagle on December 25, 2011.
Me: How would you describe yourself?
Eagle: Just a simple man with simple beliefs.
Me: Okay, but as complicated as life is now days. How can anyone’s life be simple?
Eagle: Laughs
Me: Why the laugh?
Eagle: I have a fourteen year old, sitting in front of me saying how complicated life is!
Me: Why is that funny?
Eagle: Now days most teenagers have no idea what is even going on outside of their own needs. They are too worried if momma is going to buy them that $200 dollar pair of designer shoes.
Me: Okay, I would like to come back to that statement. But for now, let’s get back to the question of how can life be simple now days?
Eagle: Life is simple to begin with! You must breath, eat, sleep, love and seek protection from the elements! It is people’s wants, which makes things complicated. Not their needs!
Me: So you are saying the more someone wants, the more complicated that their life will become?
Eagle: That’s correct.
Me: Is everything that black and white for you?
Eagle: On most issues it is. I believe that people have a way of making issues more complicated then they really are.
Me: Can you give me an example?
Eagle: Say a person is driving and comes to a red light. What do you do?
Me: Stop?
Eagle: Correct! You don’t need forty pages of government regulations to tell you that you just need to stop at a red light!
Me: So you are saying that we or the government make life so complicated?
Eagle: Correct again!
Me: You mentioned, love as a basic need earlier. Why?
Eagle: Love, hate, anger and sorrow are the most basic human emotions!
Me: yes, but you said needs! Not emotions!
Eagle: (Smiles that half smile of his at me, as he answers. Like he understands some secret that others do not know?) One can live a very satisfying life without anger, sorrow or hatred. But to live a life that is without love? Well, a life without love is like living life with only enough oxygen to stay alive. It is just not a very pleasant way to survive!
Me: Then why is there not a Mrs. Eagle?
Eagle: Love comes in many different forms, physical love is just one of them.
Me: In one of your blogs, you mentioned someone named Annie?
Eagle: (At this Eagle smile fades for a moment?) That is off limits.
Me: Why? Why should any reporters question be off limits?
Eagle: A good reporter knows what questions to ask, what not to ask and when to drop a subject!
Me: Why should a reporter ever drop a subject?
Eagle: Because one cannot get much of an interview, if the person being interviewed walks away!
Me: Oh, I understand.
Eagle: Besides often there is another way around a direct question, in order to receive an answer. Sometimes indirect is better!
Me: I really do not understand?
Eagle: You will! But let’s take a break now and fill our stomachs.
Me: Can we keep going instead?
Eagle: When your parent’s car is on empty, do they keep driving?
Me: No.
Eagle: Well my tank is on empty girl!
Me: (I laugh and nod my okay. After a wonderful steak with what he said was portabella mushrooms, onions and an ice cold coke, we sit back down to finish.) Eagle how come you do not have any children? As you obviously are very good with kids?
Eagle: (Sadness fills his eyes?) My child died when my wife Anne was killed.
Me: I am sorry!
Eagle: It was a long time ago.
Me: But you’re still not over it, are you?
Eagle: No.
Me: (I think about what Eagle told me about an indirect question sometimes being a better route.) Why do you work with children?
Eagle: You kids are our future.
Me: Well you are very good at it, how come you do not do it professionally?
Eagle: Because of several reasons.
1. Because I would not be as good at it.
2. Have you ever tried to read some of the child pysch. books out there?
Me: No?
Eagle: Well most of them are not about interaction with a child, but coddling them and pumping them full of drugs!
Me: Well my parents had thought of putting me on a combo of Lithium and Geodon.
Eagle: I know that is one of the reasons that your teacher called me. Do you still feel like you need to be on something?
Me: No, I just needed someone to show me a different way of living and handling my problems!
Eagle: Bingo, but do you know why drugs are used when other options are available?
Me: Easier?
Eagle: Correct! Now don’t get me wrong. Medicine has its place in a lot of cases!
Me: But as a last case scenario?
Eagle: Not always, but often in conjunction with interaction and more often than not, this does not happen! As it is much easier to medicate the child and stick a coloring book in front of them and call that school work!
Me: You have seen this?
Eagle: Much too often in a lot of state homes and institutions. If you ever visit one or know of someone whom has a family member in one, then ask them how often they get past the visiting room? The answer will be --- They don’t! Ever wonder why a person from one state gets sent to an out of state facility? It cuts down on family visits. The longer they can keep a child under state control, the more Federal money that state receives!
Me: (I think how close that I had came to this!) Wow!
Eagle: Right, scary huh? By the time most parents figure this out, it’s too late!
Me: Eagle, how many children have you helped?
Eagle: None!
Me: What?
Eagle: They helped themselves! All I do is provide the tools to do it with. I have no time for anyone, man, woman or child whom is to lazy to better themselves. Period!
Me: But you helped me?
Eagle: No, all I did kid was to guide you onto a different path in life. You got off your butt and chose to follow. It was not an easy path, now was it?
Me: No, but I could not of done it without you!
Eagle: All I did kid was extended out a hand to help pull you up. You chose to reach out for it!
Me: And if I would not of reached out for it?
Eagle: (Smiles)
Me: I would still be wasting my life away in anger and self pity, right?
Eagle: (Smiles and nods) Correct young lady. Unfortunately that is what is wrong with this Country. Too many people wants to go and lift people up, feed them and expects everyone else to foot the expense for people too lazy to even reach out and pull themselves up. We have created a whole generation of welfare people! They stay there because it is too damn easy for them to do so!
Me: Eagle, for one who claims to be a simple man? You are a very complex person!
Eagle: Now it’s my turn to ask what you mean?
Me: You claim to be a simple person, but yet you took me to a dinner that was put on by some foreign people and they were important people?
Eagle: They were from India, but I am still not sure what your point is?
Me: You instructed me, before we went on how to act, speak and eat. Now if you are so simple? How did you know just what their customs were?
Eagle: (Smiling) Ah! I said I have chosen to live simple. I did not say that I was uneducated. To quote Albert Einstein, “One can be very well educated and still choose to live a simple life!” Never confuse the choice of living simply, with being uneducated!
Me: So you’re not a simpleton. You just choose to live simple?
Eagle: Wrong again!
Me: I am?
Eagle: A simpleton is one whom does not have the mental capabilities to learn. Which in such, they do not have a choice. In my book, people who refuses to educate themselves, is called an “Ignorant Fool”, not a simpleton!
Me: I understand! You do not seem like you have much use for lazy individuals?
Eagle: I do not have much use or time for people too lazy to choose an honest way of living!
Me: But just because someone is lazy, that does not mean that they are dishonest?
Eagle: If someone is not doing his or her fair share, due to laziness. Then someone else has to pick up their slack! Now how fair or honest is that?
Now I have no problem helping out someone whom is actually handicapped, either though physical or mental problems. But when someone claims to be and does not actually have a handicap and gets caught. Then they need to be imprisoned with hard labor included!
Me: I guess you really do hate lazy and dishonest people?
Eagle: I categorize them right up there with 80% of politicians and lawyers! Now girl don’t get me started on either of those subjects, because I will never shut-up!
Me: (Laughing) Well I guess then that this would be a good place to end our interview!
A note from Amy-
To anyone whom reads this-
As Eagle and I finished this interview. I thanked Eagle for allowing me to practice on him. As he (Eagle) had gotten me on the school newspaper team as a reporter and also had gotten me a chance to interview not only our school principle, but a congressman that will be visiting my school in January of 2012.
After, I had finished putting our interview on paper. I returned to Eagle’s home to show him the results. But when I knocked on his door, I found out that he has left for a month somewhere? Also he is letting a man and his child, who recently lost their home, stay at his house until he returns. So that they can get back on their feet again!
I also remembered that I had never thanked Eagle for all that he has done for me and my family. I am closer to my parents than I have been for a long time and it feels so good!
So Eagle, I guess that this is my way of thanking you. May your Holidays be merry and my gift to you will have to be my love and prayers!
Thank you Eagle
Amy
