名人演讲稿

名人演讲稿

MyLifeExcerpt-ChapterOne

EarlyonthemorningofAugust19,1946,IwasbornunderaclearskyafteraviolentsummerstormtoawidowedmotherintheJuliaChesterHospitalinHope,atownofaboutsixthousandinsouthwestArkansas,thirty-threemileseastoftheTexasborderatTexarkana.MymothernamedmeWilliamJeffersonBlytheIIIaftermyfather,WilliamJeffersonBlytheJr.,oneofninechildrenofapoorfarmerinSherman,Texas,whodiedwhenmyfatherwasseventeen.Accordingtohissisters,myfatheralwaystriedtotakecareofthem,andhegrewuptobeahandsome,hardworking,fun-lovingman.HemetmymotheratTri-StateHospitalinShreveport,Louisiana,in1943,whenshewastrainingtobeanurse.ManytimeswhenIwasgrowingup,IaskedMothertotellmethestoryoftheirmeeting,courting,andmarriage.Hebroughtadatewithsomekindofmedicalemergencyintothewardwhereshewasworking,andtheytalkedandflirtedwhiletheotherwomanwasbeingtreated.Onhiswayoutofthehospital,hetouchedthefingeronwhichshewaswearingherboyfriend''''sringandaskedherifshewasmarried.Shestammered"no"--shewassingle.Thenextdayhesenttheotherwomanflowersandherheartsank.ThenhecalledMotherforadate,explainingthathealwayssentflowerswhenheendedarelationship.

Twomonthslater,theyweremarriedandhewasofftowar.HeservedinamotorpoolintheinvasionofItaly,repairingjeepsandtanks.Afterthewar,hereturnedtoHopeforMotherandtheymovedtoChicago,wherehegotbackhisoldjobasasalesmanfortheManbeeEquipmentCompany.TheyboughtalittlehouseinthesuburbofForestParkbutcouldn''''tmoveinforacoupleofmonths,andsinceMotherwaspregnantwithme,theydecidedsheshouldgohometoHopeuntiltheycouldgetintothenewhouse.OnMay17,1946,aftermovingtheirfurnitureintotheirnewhome,myfatherwasdrivingfromChicagotoHopetofetchhiswife.LateatnightonHighway60outsideofSikeston,Missouri,helostcontrolofhiscar,a1942Buick,whentherightfronttireblewoutonawetroad.Hewasthrownclearofthecarbutlandedin,orcrawledinto,adrainageditchdugtoreclaimswampland.Theditchheldthreefeetofwater.Whenhewasfound,afteratwo-hoursearch,hishandwasgraspingabranchabovethewaterline.Hehadtriedbutfailedtopullhimselfout.Hedrowned,onlytwenty-eightyearsold,marriedtwoyearsandeightmonths,onlysevenmonthsofwhichhehadspentwithMother.

ThatbriefsketchisaboutallIeverreallyknewaboutmyfather.AllmylifeIhavebeenhungrytofillintheblanks,clingingeagerlytoeveryphotoorstoryorscrapofpaperthatwouldtellmemoreofthemanwhogavemelife.WhenIwasabouttwelve,sittingonmyuncleBuddy''''sporchinHope,amanwalkedupthesteps,lookedatme,andsaid,you''''reBillBlythe''''sson.Youlookjustlikehim.?Ibeamedfordays.

In1974,IwasrunningforCongress.Itwasmyfirstraceandthelocalpaperdidafeaturestoryonmymother.Shewasatherregularcoffeeshopearlyinthemorningdiscussingthearticlewithalawyerfriendwhenoneofthebreakfastregularssheknewonlycasuallycameuptoherandsaid,"Iwasthere,Iwasthefirstoneatthewreckthatnight.?"HethentoldMotherwhathehadseen,includingthefactthatmyfatherhadretainedenoughconsciousnessorsurvivalinstincttotrytoclawhimselfupandoutofthewaterbeforehedied.Motherthankedhim,wentouttohercarandcried,thendriedhertearsandwenttowork.

In1993,onFather''''sDay,myfirstasPresident,theWashingtonPostranalonginvestigativestoryonmyfather,whichwasfollowedoverthenexttwomonthsbyotherinvestigativepiecesbytheAssociatedPressandmanysmallerpapers.ThestoriesconfirmedthethingsmymotherandIknew.Theyalsoturnedupalotwedidn''''tknow,includingthefactthatmyfatherhadprobablybeenmarriedthreetimesbeforehemetMother,andapparentlyhadatleasttwomorechildren.

Myfather''''sothersonwasidentifiedasLeonRitzenthaler,aretiredownerofajanitorialservice,fromnorthernCalifornia.Inthearticle,hesaidhehadwrittenmeduringthe?2campaignbuthadreceivednoreply.Idon''''trememberhearingabouthisletter,andconsideringalltheotherbulletsweweredodgingthen,it''''spossiblethatmystaffkeptitfromme.Ormaybetheletterwasjustmisplacedinthemountainsofmailwewerereceiving.Anyway,whenIreadaboutLeon,Igotintouchwithhimandlatermethimandhiswife,Judy,duringoneofmystopsinnorthernCalifornia.Wehadahappyvisitandsincethenwe''''vecorrespondedinholidayseasons.HeandIlookalike,hisbirthcertificatesayshisfatherwasmine,andIwishI''''dknownabouthimalongtimeago.

Somewherearoundthistime,Ialsoreceivedinformationconfirmingnewsstoriesaboutadaughter,SharonPettijohn,bornSharonLeeBlytheinKansasCityin1941,toawomanmyfatherlaterdivorced.Shesentcopiesofherbirthcertificate,herparents?marriagelicense,aphotoofmyfather,andalettertohermotherfrommyfatheraskingaboutyourbaby?toBetseyWright,myformerchiefofstaffinthegovernor''''soffice.I''''msorrytosaythat,forwhateverreason,I''''venevermether.

Thisnewsbreakingin1993cameasashocktoMother,whobythenhadbeenbattlingcancerforsometime,butshetookitallinstride.ShesaidyoungpeopledidalotofthingsduringtheDepressionandthewarthatpeopleinanothertimemightdisapproveof.Whatmatteredwasthatmyfatherwastheloveofherlifeandshehadnodoubtofhisloveforher.Whateverthefacts,that''''sallsheneededtoknowasherownlifemovedtowarditsend.Asforme,Iwasn''''tquitesurewhattomakeofitall,butgiventhelifeI抳eled,IcouldhardlybesurprisedthatmyfatherwasmorecomplicatedthantheidealizedpicturesIhadlivedwithfornearlyhalfacentury.

In1994,asweheadedforthecelebrationofthefiftiethanniversaryofD-day,severalnewspaperspublishedastoryonmyfather''''swarrecord,withasnapshotofhiminuniform.Shortlyafterward,IreceivedaletterfromUmbertoBaronofNetcong,NewJersey,recountinghisownexperiencesduringthewarandafter.HesaidthathewasayoungboyinItalywhentheAmericansarrived,andthathelovedtogototheircamp,whereonesoldierinparticularbefriendedhim,givinghimcandyandshowinghimhowenginesworkedandhowtorepairthem.HeknewhimonlyasBill.Afterthewar,BaroncametotheUnitedStates,and,inspiredbywhathehadlearnedfromthesoldierwhocalledhim"LittleGIJoe",?heopenedhisowngarageandstartedafamily.HetoldmehehadlivedtheAmericandream,withathrivingbusinessandthreechildren.Hesaidheowedsomuchofhissuccessinlifetothatyoungsoldier,buthadn''''thadtheopportunitytosaygood-byethen,andhadoftenwonderedwhathadhappenedtohim.Then,hesaid,"OnMemorialDayofthisyear,IwasthumbingthroughacopyoftheNewYorkDailyNewswithmymorningcoffeewhensuddenlyIfeltasifIwasstruckbylightning.Thereinthelowerleft-handcornerofthepaperwasaphotoofBill.IfeltchillstolearnthatBillwasnoneotherthanthefatherofthePresidentoftheUnitedStates.?"世界秘书网版权所有

In1996,thechildrenofoneofmyfather''''ssisterscameforthefirsttimetoourannualfamilyChristmaspartyattheWhiteHouseandbroughtmeagift:thecondolencelettermyaunthadreceivedfromhercongressman,thegreatSamRayburn,aftermyfatherdied.It''''sjustashortformletterandappearstohavebeensignedwiththeautopenoftheday,butIhuggedthatletterwithallthegleeofasix-year-oldboygettinghisfirsttrainsetfromSantaClaus.IhungitinmyprivateofficeonthesecondflooroftheWhiteHouse,andlookedatiteverynight.

ShortlyafterIlefttheWhiteHouse,IwasboardingtheUSAirshuttleinWashingtonforNewYorkwhenanairlineemployeestoppedmetosaythathisstepfatherhadjusttoldhimhehadservedinthewarwithmyfatherandhadlikedhimverymuch.Iaskedfortheoldvet''''sphonenumberandaddress,andthemansaidhedidn''''thaveitbutwouldgetittome.I''''mstillwaiting,hopingtherewillbeonemorehumanconnectiontomyfather.

Attheendofmypresidency,IpickedafewspecialplacestosaygoodbyeandthankstotheAmericanpeople.OneofthemwasChicago,whereHillarywasborn;whereIallbutclinchedtheDemocraticnominationonSt.Patrick''''sDay1992;wheremanyofmymostardentsupportersliveandmanyofmymostimportantdomesticinitiativesincrime,welfare,andeducationwereprovedeffective;and,ofcourse,wheremyparentswenttoliveafterthewar.IusedtojokewithHillarythatifmyfather

hadn''''tlosthislifeonthatrainyMissourihighway,Iwouldhavegrownupafewmilesfromherandweprobablyneverwouldhavemet.MylasteventwasinthePalmerHouseHotel,sceneoftheonlyphotoIhaveofmyparentstogether,takenjustbeforeMothercamebacktoHopein1946.Afterthespeechandthegood-byes,IwentintoasmallroomwhereImetawoman,MaryEttaRees,andhertwodaughters.Shetoldmeshehadgrownupandgonetohighschoolwithmymother,thenhadgonenorthtoIndianatoworkinawarindustry,married,stayed,andraisedherchildren.Thenshegavemeanotherpreciousgift:thelettermytwenty-three-year-oldmotherhadwrittenonherbirthdaytoherfriend,threeweeksaftermyfather''''sdeath,morethanfifty-fouryearsearlier.ItwasvintageMother.Inherbeautifulhand,shewroteofherheartbreakandherdeterminationtocarryon:"ItseemedalmostunbelievableatthetimebutyouseeIamsixmonthspregnantandthethoughtofourbabykeepsmegoingandreallygivesmethewholeworldbeforeme."?/span>

Mymotherleftmetheweddingringshegavemyfather,afewmovingstories,andthesureknowledgethatshewaslovingmeforhimtoo.世界秘书网版权所有

MyfatherleftmewiththefeelingthatIhadtolivefortwopeople,andthatifIdiditwellenough,somehowIcouldmakeupforthelifeheshouldhavehad.Andhismemoryinfusedme,atayoungeragethanmost,withasenseofmyownmortality.TheknowledgethatI,too,coulddieyoungdrovemebothtotrytodrainthemostoutofeverymomentoflifeandtogetonwiththenextbigchallenge.EvenwhenIwasn''''tsurewhereIwasgoing,Iwasalwaysinahurry.

ExcerptedfromMyLifebyBillClinton.Copyright?2004byBillClinton.