Jee, it was pretty out there today!
Porky and I left around 10am and slooowly drove to Smith's for groceries. I got several dented cans of tomatoes, day-old whole wheat sandwich rolls, marked-down spaghetti, another marked-down half turkey. You're not going to believe this: over in their health food section, they had sacks of soy flour, thirty cents cheaper than I can get it online and a whole DOLLAR cheaper than the co-op! On sale, so I bought 2 sacks.
I headed for the radio station. JUST as I was ready to cross Central Ave. to the university, the tire popped. I was walking it. It wasn't my weight; it was just the bad tire.
I kept the engine on and let the scooter move the groceries, even on the flat. Hyacinths, daffodils, crocus sprinkled all across campus. Saw a blossoming tree. I think it was apple, maybe cherry.
Something's going on at the radio station. I think I'm being groomed, but I'm not sure that's true, and I'm not sure for what. Nothing's actually being said, but I get the impression that, if I prove myself trustworthy and reliable, they've got ideas for me.
It's a smart crew, the people in the volunteer orientation. There are several writers. One guy has theater experience in Vienna. Several actors. Almost everybody writes. It's pretty exciting.
Seems KUNM wants to make a local radio theatre with original scripts. It would be fifty two productions a year, an hour per week.
Sounds like we'll share productions with other stations around the country.
There's another thing: People who propose and produce original programming can receive honoraria! That is to say: money! I mean, it's not much, considering producers need to pay talent who help with productions, but heck!
So, it looks like this group is serious about forming a radio theatre group of all local talent, and I'm in on it.
Plus, I'm expected to do weekly commentaries, and to learn to edit my own stuff on the computer.
Anything I need to learn they'll teach me. Computers, sound equipment....
SO, between KUNM and voc. rehab., I really should be employable eventually. Could be even at the station! Wouldn't that be something?
I came home and made a killer turkey sammich: goat cheese, bokchoy, soy sauce, daikon radish...yum. And my green tea.
I was told, in clear language, not to get frustrated or impatient. I was told this will take time. I mean, I was called into someone's office privately for this conversation, before the orientation.
I am afraid to hope, y'know? I'm afraid to believe that maybe, somehow, somebody has actually seen and heard me and is providing some space and help.
But it smells like it.
SO, I'll just keep plugging along, limping my old butt over to the radio station.
And, in the back of my head, I hear the Roches singing, "all of you will buy a ticket, just to see my face again."
By the way, as people went around the room, introducing themselves, Rachel, Operations Mgr, introduced ME! She said I'm a writer, that I contribute commentaries to the 5 o'clock news....and she said I'm very funny. She said it with a note of being impressed. It was genuine.
To be funny at a station like KUNM, crap like fart jokes don't cut it. You've got to be bright, witty, sardonic and capable of original thinking.
So, to have someone like that call me "funny" is a big deal. It means I'm smart. It means I'm respected. It means I'm looking like one of them. It means they recognize me.
I'm hoping. That scares the hell out of me.
I hope I don't screw this up. This isn't a place like that clinic, where I could be arrested for simply lighting a match in the bathroom to remove putrid smells. These people aren't spiders, setting traps to prove you're a failure so they can pretend they're not.
And, believe it or not, they're not a bunch of snooty egomaniacs, either. They seem to sincerely want to provide educational, entertaining, thoughtful and professional radio. It's very encouraging.
So, now I need to dig up a new tire. People loved my art cart as I was out there today. Felt pretty good driving around in it. Looked like something from Killer Klowns From Outer Space.
No comments:
Post a Comment