Thoughts to Frame Your Day

'Half the world is composed of people who have something to say and can't, and the other half who have nothing to say and keep saying it.'
--Robert Frost

'The most important thing about education is appetite.'
--Winston Churchill

'Have something to say and say it as clearly as you can. That is the only secret of style.'
--Matthew Arnold

Royko, Pre-9/11. Senator Ted Kennedy caused a little ruckus last week when he disclosed that he had been prevented from boarding flights a number of times, under a mistaken suspicion that he was a terrorist (as it turned out, his name was similar to that of someone on a watch list). Even with one of the most recognizable faces in America and a 40-plus-year perch in the U.S. Senate, he nevertheless got caught up in the dragnet. But just imagine what might have happened to Chicago's iconic columnist Mike Royko if he had had the following meltdown after the terrorist attacks in 2001. This is taken from the introduction to Royko--A Life in Print. The author, Richard Ciccone, recounts how after meeting Royko in Washington, D.C., he convinced his fellow Chicago writer to fly back to the Windy City with him, even though Royko had a fear of flying which dated back to his time in the military, when his plane nearly crashed. Everything went just fine until they purchased their tickets and headed toward the departure gate.

"'I can't do this,' Royko said. He began shouting, 'I've got a bomb, I've got a bomb.' Two airline security people came running up. I convinced them Royko was hopelessly drunk. Terrorist bombing was not a real fear in 1977. The security people gave us a smirk and allowed us to board the plane.' "