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TI: So, Bob, we're at the end of our time, but I just want to end, is there anything, we've covered so much and you can go on and on about different things, but I guess, what's important to you? I mean, when you think about your life, we went from the beginning, your dad, before the war, and your career, all these ups and downs.

BS: Yeah.

TI: When people ask you what's important in life, what do you tell them?

BS: I, you know, I think about that. I think it's sort of a selfish feeling that you have that you can do something. You can be a radical in some ways, you can be a negotiator in some ways, but every time you're in a situation you have control. I always think I have control over what can happen during a meeting and the result of a meeting, whether it's with the mayor's office or the property owner or something. I always feel inside that I'm gonna control the outcome of this meeting, and maybe one out of ten times that happens. But the one time it does happen, you might have, we might have done something ten or twenty times, that feeling that you have when you come out of a meeting or you come out of a building or you have a, you do a groundbreaking or a ribbon cutting for something that you worked to help start, that is a feeling that you can never... I mean, I imagine if, equivalent of winning a gold medal at the Olympics, I imagine, is the feeling that I have when something really nice happens.

TI: And for you that nice -- I talked to other people and it might be doing a business deal or something -- it's really, for you it's helping others.

BS: Yeah, that's what it is.

TI: It's just like, and that's why --

BS: It's a personal, the personal accomplishment using your wits at spur of the moment kinds of stuff, it really gets your adrenaline going because it's almost like winning a big hand in poker or something. It's about there, but I don't want to show my hand, and I almost got him to say yes, and that's what it's... it's a challenge, and you're in the right place at the right time to make things happen for the, for the better of more people.

TI: Well, that's a great way to end it. And I just feel the community is so lucky that we have you, and so thank you so much for everything you do.

BS: Thank you, Tom. Yeah.

TI: This was, this was wonderful. Thank you.

BS: Sure enough.

TI: That was good. Wow. What a great interview.

<End Segment 13> - Copyright © 2011 Densho. All Rights Reserved.