I just spent the evening watching two very interesting talk show hosts. One was Tavis Smiley, and the other was Charlie Rose, both PBS long-timers.
I don’t usually watch talk shows like this, but they had a variety of guests that piqued my interest. Mr. Smiley had 76 year old Marlo Thomas, who now is a children’s advocate with St. Jude Research Hospital. She also became interested in women’s causes after being a young female television star on the “That Girl” hit show from 1966 to 1971 when she received letters from a variety of women experiencing troubled lives. Ms. Thomas is the wife of talk show legend Phil Donahue, and the daughter of the beloved Danny Thomas, a singer and television star in his own right. She recently wrote a book entitled, “It Ain’t Over…Till It’s Over: Reinventing Your Life - - and Realizing Your Dreams - - Anytime, at Any Age”.
Mr. Rose had two guests, Ruswana Bashir, the 31 year old Co-Founder and CEO of Peek, an engaging entrepreneur, and Edward O. Wilson, an 85 year old American biologist, researcher, and author. Ms. Bashir talked enthusiastically about Peek, a travel company she helped co-found which takes booking “activities” around the globe to a new level and focuses on the experience and not just the reservation aspects of travel. E. O. Wilson, was interesting as he talked about his travels to Gorongosa National Park, and being part of a movement of trying to revive the huge Mozambique park that was devastated by a civil war.
My question for each person was this, “How did you get to become a “mover & shaker” in today’s world?" I don’t agree with Mr. Wilson’s suppositions about evolution and that global warming will bring us to a catastrophic end. I also worry about his soul, being an 85 year old nearing the end of his life. But he shared a passion for his belief systems that younger men like me could envy.
I was always a Danny Thomas and Marlo Thomas fan. They were always funny and fun. I don’t know about her belief systems, but I do like the focus of Ms. Thomas’s book at considering what exciting direction a person can take at any age of his or her life.
Lastly, I’m always intrigued by a person who is entrepreneurial, and whose passions lead them to think about the possibilities rather than the barriers of an endeavor. Ms. Bashir shared that she has learned a lot in her quest to build a “billion dollar” business. While one might question her motives in her “billion dollar” statement and the fact that she truly wants to be a “have” in a “have and have not” society, I think our world definitely needs to have dreamers who want to take their dreams to the next level, and create jobs and futures for many others along the way.
I pray for the souls of each of the persons I watched tonight, including Mr. Smiley and Mr. Rose. They were an interesting mix of personalities who are “movers & shakers” in our world. The next question is, “Can you and I become a “mover & shaker” in our respective worlds?"
Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work. 2 Timothy 2:21
See you next time,
Arlen
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