What's Really Important In Life
Weekly commentary by CBS Evening News anchor and Face the Nation host Bob Schieffer.
Did you ever stop and think how much time we spend making sure other people think we're important? Last week, a person I know actually began some tale with the words "as the president was telling me the other day." Now I can't think of any reason he'd want to share a conversation with the president except to make sure I knew he was important enough to talk to the president which is fine, but over the years, I've noticed that people presidents consider important are the ones who keep conversations with them confidential.
During the Clinton years, people paid big money to sleep over at the White House -- made them feel important. These days for a certain fee you can get your picture taken with the Bushes and get the same feeling.
Making people feel important is not just good politics, it's become big business. For a six- figure sum, Paris Hilton will show up at your party so everyone will know just how cool you really are. Some rap artists now travel with their own television crews so people will see the cameras grinding away and say, "Wow, that must be someone important."
I don't know much but I think I've stumbled on a much better way. My grandchildren call me Bo-Bo, and the other day, one of them, a four-year-old, looked up at me and said, "Bo-Bo, I really need your help on something." In my entire life, I never felt more important than I did at that moment.
Happy Father's Day.
By Bob Schieffer