Steven Ford

Spreading manure is a great way of bringing yourself down to earth.

yourself down great way

Dad had great people investing in his life at a young age. His mother, his stepfather, his Boy Scout leader, his football coach. That's where integrity is planted, like seeds that are harvested later.

age mother football life

Character is not created on the spot.

created spot character

I used to go out and carouse. I was afraid to go to sleep because I thought I might miss something.

something thought go sleep

When Dad made a decision, whether it was about family or his own career, the majority of the time, it was for the long term, not the short term.

family decision time long

When you look at the Nixon pardon, the short-term gain would have been never to pardon him.

gain never look you

I thought food and drink were just part of the perks of living at the White House. The next day, I got a call from his secretary saying my dad wanted to see me in the Oval Office, and when I got there, dad was waving this little pink receipt. I didn't know it came out of his salary.

day me dad food

Dad lived his life in a way that it was his character, not his circumstances, that dictated what his life looked like.

dad character life way

When you're part of the first family, your life tends to get played out in front of the whole nation.

nation you family life

Politics is a lot like acting. You have to be on all the time.

like you politics time

It takes a good actor to sound excited every time.

good-actor good sound time

It's bad enough on a first date trying not to say something dumb without having three Secret Service guys with you.

bad service you dumb

I just kind of fell into acting.

fell just acting kind

I had my share of rejections.

rejections had share

Not all films are going to go down in history.

going down go history

I've really been blessed to have these roles in movies that will last forever.

movies will blessed forever

I remember telling Mom, 'I can't go to the Betty Ford Center. That's like going to the high school where your mom is the principal.' But maybe I could have gotten the family rate.

family mom remember school

My dad wasn't the best speaker like a Bill Clinton, or a Henry Kissinger, but he had character.

best like dad character

Dad knew how to disagree without being disagreeable or rude.

how being rude dad

I felt God's love, and that was a great gift.

gift great god love