25 Questions With Matt
Who are you? Matt Schuckman, 35
Tell us about yourself. I’m a Quincy native who is blessed to come from a big family — I’m the youngest of six kids. I’ve been influenced by every one of my siblings, which includes growing up with a backyard where you could always find a game. My family is a big reason I moved back here 10 years ago and a major reason why I plan to stay.
When I was a kid, I wanted to be … the starting catcher for the St. Louis Cardinals.
What would you rather be doing right now? Playing poker.
Shhhhhh! Don’t tell anyone that … I write poetry. I have two journals filled with poems, and I’ve had one piece published.
What was your proudest moment? Seeing the first book I authored get published. It was
truly a labor of love and tribute to the values of persistence, perserverance and dedication that my parents instilled in me.
It really stinks when … people refuse to stand behind their comments. It doesn’t matter if you’re being critical of a coach, questioning something printed in the newspaper or taking local government to task. If you’re bold enough to be critical, be strong enough to use your name.
What word in the dictionary would your face be next to? Cheerful.
I always laugh when … Eric Ervin speaks. You just never know what he might say.
Invite any three people, living or dead, to dinner. Who are they? My uncle, Richard Schuckman. He was killed in the Korean War, earning a Silver Star for valor in the face of an enemy. My uncle, Charles Schuckman. He passed away when I was in high school, and I still miss him. And my dad. I would love to hear the stories his older brothers would tell about him.
At the end of a really long day at work, I like to … take a drive in the country with the window down. The sounds and the smells of nature can change your mood in an instant.
People who knew me in high school thought I was … friendly.
My most unforgettable brush with greatness was … when I was covering the Missouri basketball team at the Maui Invitational. A gentleman tapped me on the shoulder and asked if the seat next to me on press row was taken. I told him to feel free to sit there and went about scribbling some notes. It wasn’t until he struck up a conversation that I realized it was Magic Johnson.
I would drop all my plans tonight if I had the chance to … be the bullpen catcher for the Cardinals.
If someone gave me a million dollars, there is STILL no way I would … cheer for Kansas.
America should be more concerned about … the loss of personal skills. People don’t talk one-on-one anymore. Everything is e-mailed, text messaged or blogged. The world is becoming robotic, which is worrisome.
I’m OK if there’s ever a national shortage of … baseball cards.
What place in the world would you most like to visit? Alaska
What is the most useful piece of advice you have ever received? My mom has several sayings she loves to invoke when she’s doling out advice. This one has always stuck with me: Anything worth doing is worth doing well. See, Mom, I actually did listen to you growing up.
When I’m cruising down the road, I’m likely listening to … something like Van Halen, Shinedown or some sort of hard rock. It depends on my mood.
I always get sentimental when … I look at family photo albums.
The older I get, the more I realize … I’m acting more and more like my dad.
If I had one “do-over,” I would … go through my college graduation ceremony.
My favorite item of clothing is … a dirty, dingy black adidas cap I’ve had since my college days. It’s getting tattered and tougher to clean, but it has that perfect fit that can never go wrong.
If I’ve learned anything at all … it’s to tell those close to you how much you care.
