Getting to the truth.

I like to be personal. Even with strangers. Maybe too personal. To suit some. But I delight. In getting to know people personally. From the start.  I often bypass the small talk. I learned this approach. As a journalist. Interviewing people I had never met before.  I was there. For a purpose. To write a story. To collect facts. And tidbits, too. That may add interest. To the tale. At the same time. I volunteered my own personal stuff. As a means of creating a dialogue. A back and forth. That tended to put both of us at ease. A two-way street of communicating. So that we both got to know each other. Personally. No. No. It wasn’t a cleverly calculated approach to the interview. Instead, it came naturally. Connecting. Instinctively. Nakedly. Yes, let’s get to the crux of the matter. To the personal stuff. And not least, to the truth. Fairly and accurately.   --Jim Broede