“Everything happens for the best,” my mother said whenever I faced disappointment£®“If you carry on£¬one day something good will happen£®And you’ll realize that it wouldn’t have happened if not for that previous disappointment.”

    Mother was right£¬as I discovered after graduating from college in 1932£¬I had decided to try for a job in radio£¬then work my way up to sports announcer£®I hitchhiked to Chicago and knocked on the door of every station——and got turned down every time£®In one studio£¬a kind lady told me that big stations couldn’t risk hiring an inexperienced person£®“Go out in the sticks and find a small station that’ll give you a chance,” she said£®I thumbed home to Dixon£¬Illinois£®

    While there were no radio£­ announcing jobs in Dixon£¬my father said Montgomery Ward had opened a store and wanted a local athlete to manage its sports department£®Since Dixon was where I had played high school football£¬I applied£®The job sounded just right for me£®But I wasn’t hired£®My disappointment must have shown£®“Everything happens for the best.” Mom reminded me£®Dad offered me the car to hunt job£®I tried WOC Radio in Davenport£¬Iowa£®The program director£¬a wonderful Scotsman named Peter MacArthur told me they had already hired an announcer£®

    As I left his office£¬my frustration£¨´ìÕÛ£©boiled over£®I asked aloud, “How can a fellow get to be a sports announcer if he can’t get a job in a radio station.” I was waiting for the elevator when I heard MacArthur calling, “What was you said about sports£¿Do you know anything about football?” Then he stood me before a microphone and asked me broadcast an imaginary game£®The preceding£¨ÔÚÇ°µÄ£©autumn£¬my team had won a game in the last 20 seconds with a 65£­yard run£® I did a 15£­minute build£­up to that play£¬and Peter told me I would be broadcasting Saturday’s game£¡On my way home£¬as I have many times since£¬I thought of my mother’s words£º“If you carry on£¬one day something good will happen£®Something wouldn’t have happened if not for that previous disappointment.”

    I often wonder what direction my life might have taken if I’d not gotten the job at Montgomery Ward£®