What Our Favorite Things Say About Us
If you look around your home or office, there's probably something you can't get rid of because it means so much to you. That item may mean more than you think.
It wasn't easy, but The Early Show's Harry Smith, Maggie Rodriguez, Dave Price, Russ Mitchell and Julie Chen each shared a personal item that's important to them -- and we'll share them with you, one at a time.
Do the items define them? Clinical psychologist Jeff Gardere provides insight into what the items say about who they are.
Julie
Two vases mean the world to Julie. She explained that they were instrumental in her parents getting the OK from her mother's parents for them to get engaged. That permission, Chen explained, is an important part of Chinese culture.
"Lovely story," Gardere said. "And I see these as being the defining items for many reasons. For one, we're looking at tradition, we're looking at education, which goes way back in your family, and as well as achievement. We saw it in your granddad, who was a wealthy industrialist. I learned about that. Your parents, who had graduate education, and we see it in you, Julie, in that you embody all those things, but also, passion and focus. We see it on your work in 'Big Brother,' we see it here as a an anchor, we see it in your excellent reporting when you talk about the wars in the Middle East. One thing about you, you do have this tradition. You do have the love of family, and it's made you that focused and passioned person that you are today. You say what you mean and you mean what you say. And we love you for that."
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.Russ
For Russ, his parent's wedding photo says it all.
"I wasn't around for it, but every time I see it I smile," he says. " ... My parents were the nicest people I've ever known. When I look at this picture, it reminds of the great childhood they gave me and all of their love and support."
Gardere says, "This is a man who is very respectful of his elders. I know this because he is very respectful of people he doesn't even know. This is why it doesn't surprise me that he would hold dearly his folks who formed his behavior, his bedside manner, the kind of person he is in the world. Russ is the type of person who, in many ways, can be separate from people, but at the same time, does not hold himself separate from people. He is a very quiet individual, but that quiet is not about being stand-offish. It's about being an introspective, respectful person. He is a very kind man."
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.DAVE
A written note from a former colleague is a defining item for Dave.
He says, "(When working at Fox), I had said something off the top of my head on the air there ... and the general manager flipped out and called (me) down to the set during the show and yelled. (Colleague) Jim (Ryan) wrote me a note on a piece of copy that reads: 'One of the realizations that come with experience (and age) is that our every action is not as fraught with consequences as we might think.' It was so meaningful to me. I kept it and show it to anyone who comes in who thinks they've done something irreparable. It meant the world to me to get that note and I think it teaches a great lesson."
Gardere says, "I find it very interesting, but at the same time, I'm not at all surprised that Dave would hold on to Jim's note that he wrote him about not being afraid of the consequences. I've worked with Jim many times. He is a very personable man. He doesn't hold his station above others. Dave is the same way -- he is a people person, able to reach out to strangers and making them feel as energized as he is, and help them."
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.MAGGIE
Maggie brought in her personal journal.
"I've kept a journal since I was 10, and I have all of them, she says.
"It's the only thing I can think of that has been a constant in my life."
Her current journal is one she plans to keep for her daughter, and she reads a passage on air. So what does Maggie documenting so much in her journals say about her personality?
Gardere says, "What I like about Maggie doing this journal -- which is strictly around the observations around her daughter -- so I think first of all with her, every moment is a precious moment. Every minute matters. That's why she's documenting it. That journal trains her to look at every detail in her environment, every bit of magic. She is living in the history as it happens. This is all about her love for her daughter and not losing any minute of that. It also speaks to her personality of being so attentive and so on on every detail. This is a living testament of her daughter growing up, so she can look at it and be in the moment 25 years from now."
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.HARRY
Harry says there isn't one physical item in his life that he can't live without -- it's just not what he's about. But he keeps two items that are important to him in his office at CBS News -- stadium seats from Comiskey Park -- former home of the Chicago White Sox. The Sox were a team on the South Side, where he grew up. Everyone's dad worked in the mills; Harry's dad drove a truck. For Harry, it's not about airs, but about aspiring to get beyond the South Side and the accomplishment of doing so.
What do the chairs from Harry's past say about where he is today?
Gardere says, "What I find interesting about the seats is, that this is very important, because it shows where Harry has been and where he is right now -- the progression and the evolution. At the same time, it doesn't make where he was then any less important then where he is now. That's a good reminder for him that success is not about money and position. It's about happiness and staying grounded, and this is a guy who stays grounded."
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