I want to see what's underneath.

When I meet a stranger, I like to make a startling first impression. Maybe because it's fun. Maybe because I'm devilish. I like to let 'em know, right off the bat, who and what I am. In the hope that they counter. In an equally candid way. I want them to say, 'My gawd, what's going on here? This is good conversation. I better participate.' Maybe because it gets to be personal. Right from the start. I don't wait for the formalities. Maybe I learned this approach when I interviewed people for stories that I wrote. For newspapers. I wanted to get to the significant stuff right away. I had to get people to talk. To open up. I wanted to come away with a good story. That's what I want from everybody I meet. A good story. About their life. About what makes them tick. I want to be able to write a whole lot about a person a half-hour after I've met 'em. I want to strip them. Naked. I want a glimpse inside their real being. I don't want a facade. I want to see what's underneath. --Jim Broede