American story: An inspiring autistic artist

One of my favorite stories last year was about a son who had not said a sentence to his mother in two decades. He could not express a complex thought. But hope will never be silent. See what the New Year holds for Seth Chwast. 

To succeed, Seth will need to count on more than his fingers. Fortunately, he has an amazing mom. We are all the result of the many hands that push us along, who help us do better than we think we can. My producers, editors and crews can tell you. Sometimes I need more than a push. I need a tow truck. I’m writing this today because of all the people who taught me to craft a sentence and then, a life. There’s no such thing as a “self made.”

I’ve spent 40 years looking for stories like Seth’s. Traveled more than 5 million miles. Alaska to Australia. Paris to Panama. Been in more motel rooms than the Gideon Bible. Believing there’s more to this job than just airtime. We’re not just writing on smoke.

Great stories are like onions. No, not because they make you cry. They have many layers. Communicate on many levels. They are laced with details that touch all of us. On the surface is the tale to tell, but under that a series of strong images and sounds to help us experience the story, not just learn about it.

A lot of what we show you on TODAY reflects the powerful and celebrated. I have made an effort — all my career — to tell stories from the other side of the media mirror.  If we don’t look beyond the headlines for such stories, we miss so much. Stories like Seth’s, the ones you find in the shadows, tell us who we are. 

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