“The Watergate” was just a name I had read in history books before I actually stepped in that glorious complex in the fall of 2001.
With a folder of papers under my arm and a bag hanging from my shoulder and a… pounding heart, I got out of the elevator into the third floor of that huge building. A white color grand piano was sitting in the middle of a huge room surrounded by big glass windows showing the beautiful view of Potomac River. I took a deep breath and tried to focus on what I need to do next. It was only about a month since I had arrived in the U.S. the land of opportunities, and luckily I ended up in a city (Washington D.C.) that I believed was a perfect place for the job I was interested in as a journalist.
But I wasn’t sure where to go next! I looked around to find someone that could help me. A little farther, a man was standing next to a desk. When I got closer to him, after making sure not to interrupt him, in a very polite manner and clear voice asked:
-I am looking for Mr. Chuck Todd. Do you know where I can find him?
The guy looked at me curiously for second and burst into a loud laughter. My heart started pounding even harder. Since when I came to this country I was trying very carefully not to do anything against the rules and culture of this new environment I had moved to! The guy did not stop laughing. He was laughing hard when he pointed to me to follow him. I was still confused when he peeked into an office and said: Hey Chuck, someone’s looking for you…
And still laughing, he continued:
-She says she is looking for “Mr. Chuck Todd”!
Chuck looked at me and with a smile said:
-Call me Chuck…
Now I was amazed! In my culture (Iranian culture) you could never call a boss by his first name! And I was surprised to see that an editor in chief can be so humble and down to earth not to mind being called by his first name!
I think I was very lucky to have my first job interview in this county with “Chuck Todd”! That day Chuck the editor-in-chief of Hotline, online Publication, hired me. It was months after the 9/11 tragedy that the publication, The Hotline, in partnership with the Atlantic Monthly, embarked on a 6-month special daily news briefing on world politics called: Hotline World Extra. And the goal of the publication was to provide news briefs on significant political and military developments from countries the U.S. was going to be dealing with in the war on terrorism; and so I got to compile and translate Persian publications into news briefs. During the time I worked there, I didn’t even want to leave the workplace after I was done; Chuck was an amazing leader and super friendly boss. He was a hard worker. His writers were a team of enthusiastic young people that cheered when he showed up in the TV news commenting on political issues.
And I was so proud to work with him and even prouder when he once told me: I am “Jewish”, a reform Jew. Years later when I asked him for a recommendation letter he immediately gave me a long note with incredibly nice words, mentioning my abilities as an amazing asset!
A few years later I almost left aside writing, which was my passion, but I could hear and feel Chuck’s continuous success from here and there. One spring day in 2007 I received an email from Chuck. It was a bulk email starting like this: Friends, family (even some foes…
And he continued:
“I have left Hotline and moved over to NBC News as their new political dir. and on-air analyst” and attached was his new contact info.
Chuck’s abilities in journalism and his passion for politics and his courageous interviews, bought him more and more fans. Today Chuck Todd is the host of NBC's “Meet the Press”, which was once the highest rated political talk shows and is the longest running (66 years according to Wikipedia) American TV series.
This past Sunday “September 7, 2014” almost exactly 13 years after 7/11/2001 when America is still dealing with war on terrorism, Chuck Todd, the 12th moderator of this series started his first show of “Meet the press” passionately with a unique interview in The White House with President Obama about war on Terror.
Among many others, I strongly believe that he is going to make a positive change in the world of politics. And I just want to tell him:
-Mazal Tov “Mr. Chuck Todd”!