青涩的21岁.docVIP

青涩的21岁 　　Have you ever looked at an old picture and been instantly transported back in time—to the point where you can feel the fabric of the shirt you were wearing， and smell the room you were standing in？ 　　Thats what this photo （bottom left） does for me. I was 21 years old. I had bought the entire outfit off a mannequin2） at Cain-Sloan3） in Nashville. （Never was a bargain shopper. To this day， going through racks4） of clothes looking for a find5） makes me anxious.） The skirt cost $40. Id never spent that much on a single item of clothing. 　　But I was willing to do it for my first major celebrity interview： Jesse Jackson6）. He was speaking at a local high school， telling students， Down with dope7）， up with hope！ and I had been assigned to cover8） him. My news director didnt think the event was worth our time， but Id insisted （okay， pleaded）， assuring him I could come back with a piece worthy of the 6 oclock news. And I did. 　　I had a fondness for telling other peoples stories， extracting9） the truth of their experience into a digestible nugget10） that could inform， inspire， or benefit someone else. Still， I was uncertain about what to say or how to say it. The truth is， I was just moving on instinct. 　　If I knew then what I know now， I would never have wasted even a single minute doubting my path. It may be human nature to question and doubt， but the older I get， the less I worry about anything. I can see life unfolding in divine order. And even in times of the greatest turmoil11）， I can stop， get still， and see with utter clarity： this， too， shall pass. 　　Because everything always does. Until finally we do. 　　No matter what youre struggling through—no matter the pain or anguish12）—you can go inside behind your mind and observe it happening to you. Whatever it is， it isnt you. You are the observer. 　　When you come to know this， you realize that even though the canvas of your life is painted with daily experiences， behaviors， reactions， and emotions， youre