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Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.
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What is your earliest memory?
A thunderstorm in Sarnia, Ontario, where I was born. I was playing outside. My great-grandfather lived with us; he died when I was four. I raced into the living room and he said, “You ran between the raindrops!”, and I remember wondering if I could really have run that fast. The imagery delighted me. -
Who was or still is your mentor?
My parents. My dad — he’s 89 — is still flying planes. He’s given lots of good counsel. Crawford McCreath, who taught me to fly gliders, and about the sense of beauty, philosophy and professionalism needed to be a pilot. The high school teacher who taught me that math is a tool to unlock the world. Every single person knows things that you don’t know. Everyone can mentor you on something. -
How fit are you?
There are three types of fitness: physical, mental and emotional. I was a combat fighter pilot during the cold war and a fighter test pilot, which is very physically punishing. And to be healthy enough to keep flying spaceships into my fifties, I’ve had to work at staying physically fit. I constantly challenge myself to learn and do new things. And you have to find peace and grace, that centre of emotional stability. -
Tell me about an animal you have loved.
My wife and I have always had pets. Our first was Troy, a yellow labrador. He was a bit of a terror until he turned two. When he became an adult, his intellect shone. He was loving, attentive, absolutely putting us ahead of himself. -
Risk or caution, which has defined your life more?
People assume I’m a thrill seeker. But I would say caution. Those two terms are not antonyms. Informed and deliberate risk has helped me make decisions. But once I’ve made the decision, my purpose is caution — accomplishing what I want to accomplish, while managing risk. -
What trait do you find most irritating in others?
Arrogant selfishness, when people disregard their impact on others. To me, that’s contrary to civilisation and a functioning society. -
What trait do you find most irritating in yourself?
Quickness to judge and impatience. -
What drives you on?
Excitement about the possibilities of the future. I’m intensely curious. -
Do you believe in an afterlife?
There is zero evidence of an afterlife. To me that’s comforting. You’re not counting on something nebulous that may turn out not to be true. This is life, so live it! -
Which is more puzzling, the existence of suffering or its frequent absence?
The world doesn’t care whether you have a joyful life or a short and painful one. The natural state is suffering. But we have alleviated so much suffering by our collective, relentless will to do better, to invent things and look after each other. We have by no means eliminated suffering, but our species lives better now than at any time in its history. I’m not puzzled by that; it’s explicable. -
Name your favourite river.
The Saint Clair. I was born within sight of it, it’s where I learnt to swim and scuba. -
What would you have done differently?
Every decision is imperfect and has imperfect consequences. You can spend your life regretting past decisions and staring at your navel, but what’s that going to do for you?
‘The Defector’ by Chris Hadfield is published by Quercus
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