Occasionally, all too seldom, we hear something that lights up our day, and this interview with Martin Sheen on BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs did that for me. I found to my surprise that he has always been a political activist for the rights of the under-privileged and marginalised, and been arrested more than 60 times for his activities.
Then he said one of those things that make you sit up and cheer. Asked what he gained from being so politically active, he said, “I do it for myself, not to influence anybody. You do it because you cannot not do it and be yourself.” That is a statement we should all ponder upon. And it made me think that I, too, in quite a different area, am professionally active for five element acupuncture, and I "do it because I cannot not do it and be myself."
I also loved the fact that he refuses to join a private golf club, and queues up to play on public courses because he “deeply resents” a sense of privilege. Much after my heart, too, he said that he listens to a lot of classical music, and that if he hears Mozart when he is driving, he goes past his destination until the Mozart has finished, because “I cannot bear to stop Mozart”. What he said about his drug-taking, alcoholic son, so much in the public eye at the moment, was also extremely moving.
Altogether a lovely man. Try and hear the programme which you can download from BBC i-Player if you are in this country.
And if you are interested in a marvellous example of a Fire person, you can do no better than to listen to his laughing voice, an extremely clear example of Fire in full enjoyment of life, but with an acceptance of all life’s sadnesses.
I was already a huge fan of Martin Sheen's, and not just because I admire him as an actor. In fact I would probably go as far as to say that I admire him as a man more than I do as an actor. I'm always affected by what he has to say in his interviews because he is such an interesting man, he is politically and socially engaged and he has been for many years. I also loved the fact that he refuses to play on private golf clubs, when you consider the fact that his high profile would probably give him access to many perks and he refuses to play that game. I was also touched by what he had to say about his son Charlie, and also his comments about his wife, Janet who he clearly loves very much!
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