Despite writing a newspaper column that often touches on my personal life, I place a lot of value on discretion.
“You get awfully personal,” my father has observed to me on more than one occasion, a cautionary tone in his voice.
I’ve assured him that, no, I really don’t. While everything I say is honest, I certainly don’t open veins in the newspaper.
As a reporter, I do sometimes seek to get other people to do so.
My most oft-used word during interviews is “elaborate.” I’m forever seeking to get people to peel away more layers of themselves. Call it a hazard of the job, call it plain old nosiness, but I often find myself very curious about other people’s lives.