I walked up the polished wooden staircase to the main floor. Unraveling in front of me was a sprawling living room. A large window took up the majority of the wall in front of me. I could see for miles it seemed, as the natural beauty of the prairies stretched out before me.
The sun had begun its journey, heading for the horizon. It cast a myriad of colours across the tapestry of the late afternoon, early evening sky.
Sitting in a chair facing the spectacular view was Michael Coren.
Some of you may know him, some may not. I know who he is, and was a little intimidated. I’ve seen this man on television, I’ve read his column’s in the Toronto Sun, I’m fully aware I will be sitting down with a man who is superior to me in terms of intelligence and accomplishment.
But as I approach the chair next to his, he rises from his and extends a hand of greeting. We shake hands, I introduce myself, we sit back down.
I’m interviewing this man for the upcoming Pro-Life Society AGM later that evening, but I want to pick this man’s brain about topics ranging from the pro-life movement, his journey as a journalist, politics in Canada, and the ruckus that is currently unfolding in the middle east.
I was late getting there, and our time was limited. So I press on with the pro-life questions.
At first it seemed like he didn’t want to talk to me, or my questions weren’t good enough. But he put me at ease when he started to brandish the dry British humour of which he happens to be a master.
I didn’t know it at the time, but I consider him to be an inspiration. His work with the Pro-Life movement is great, needed, and I support the stance that pro-lifers take. The inspiration I gather from him is more about his personality, his intelligence and the fact that we are in the same industry.
He has strong opinions, he defends them well, but he also has a great ability to listen and dissect statements, which is a skill I’m trying to develop.
So we sat and talked for a bit. As quickly as the interview started, it was over just like that. Or that’s what it felt like. I sat in my chair wondering what had just happened. I encountered a whirlwind and was swept up in it. He stood up from his chair and proceeded to the exit.
“You should have enough for five articles now,” said Coren, in his dry British tone.
I wish I did have enough for five articles, but alas, I am just a little guy standing in the shadow of a journalism giant.
