A lesson in life is translated by Zhang Bao

Ronald Reagan, the 33rd governor of California and the 40th president of the United States, was a great speaker. Apex worked as a sports broadcaster, lifeguard, newspaper columnist, film actor, television actor, motivational lecturer before entering politics, and was a leader of the Screen Actors Guild of America. Among the previous presidents, he is the oldest and the only president who has been an actor. "A Lesson in Life" is one of his inspirational essays.

Whenever I had a setback, my mother would always say to me, "Everything is going to be fine." If you can stick with it, something good will happen one day. You will realize that there would be no present without previous setbacks. ”

Mother was right in saying this. But it was in 1932 that I really realized the extraordinary meaning of these words. I had just graduated from university that year and decided to try my hand at a career in radio and start my new life. And then try to be a sports announcer.

With this ideal and desire in mind, I hitchhiked to Chicago and knocked on doors from door to door to pitch and introduce myself to the radio. But each time it was rejected. It made me feel very discouraged. In one of the studios, a kind lady told me, "A big radio station wouldn't risk hiring a newbie without experience." You'd better go to the countryside and find a small radio station that will give you a chance. ”

Next, I hitchhiked to my hometown of Dixon, Illinois. At that time, there was no such profession as an announcer here. My father said to me, "Montgomery Ward opened a new store and wanted to hire a local athlete to manage the athletic department of the store. "I played rugby at Dixon in middle school, and for that reason, I went and applied for the job. It was a good job for me, but they didn't hire me.

The series of setbacks left me very discouraged and frustrated. My mother saw my pessimism and reminded me, "Cheer up, everything will be fine." ”

To make it easier for me to find a job, my dad bought me a car. I drove back to Davenport, Iowa, and tried to get a job at WOC Radio. The director of the radio program there was a wonderful Scotsman named Peter MacArthur. He told me that they had hired an announcer.

This made my frustration extreme. As I left his office, I exasperated and exclaimed, "How can a guy who can't even find a job on the radio be a sports announcer?"

As I walked to the elevator, I heard MacArthur shout, "What sport are you talking about? Do you know how to play football?" I said, "I played football in middle school." ”

He said, "Well, you can come over and try it." So, he asked me to stand in front of the microphone and explain to him an imaginary football game. After listening to my explanation, he quickly nodded and said, "Very good." ”

On the way home, and many times later, whenever I encountered a setback, I would be reminded of my mother's words, "If you persevere, something good will happen one day." Without the setbacks of the past, there would not be everything now. "I often wondered: If I had gotten that job at Montgomery Ward, what would my life have been?