Susan Stamberg

I was the one that would come up to that map and say, where is the joy in this radio program?

And I did what I could to be the bringer of joy whenever I could to the air.

And I felt that I didn't want to inflict this on people.

And I also selfishly didn't want to have to cheer them up or make them feel better, which is a part of what illness is.

what happens with illness.

People become very upset with you, and I feel a certain obligation.

Well, I don't have a rule of thumb, but it happens often in this book.

I see evidence of it.

And I see an interesting development as well.

A rule with me, and I think it's a current one too, is if someone starts crying, I turn off the tape recorder.

It's why I wasn't meant to do journalism.

I have all the wrong instincts.

If it's that painful...

They need to be private about it, and I don't need to record that to broadcast that pain to others.

If they can talk about it, it's one thing.

I just hate when on television the camera zooms in and focuses.

The lens zooms in to show you the tears.

It's none of my business.

I turn away.

But I think I've also learned a lot about human resilience, and it's been something that's meant a great deal to me personally.