A Greenie in the Green Room

Today I got to appear on a television show for the first time.  What a great experience!  After I went through the angst of trying to figure out what to wear – nothing too dark, they said, or starkly white . . . no small prints which jump around on camera – I tried to think about how to prepare for the show.  And I don’t mean prepare what I would say . . . anyone who knows the littlest bit about me knows I can wax on and on about Fanny Fern.  (Seriously, you do not want to get stuck in an elevator with me.)  I mean, I tried to think about how to prepare for the hour or so when I’d be sitting in the green room with strangers, waiting for my five minutes on camera.

It turned out to be a lot of fun.  We all sat there – the two young guys promoting a Lung Association fundraising bike ride, the country singers who would compete in a State Fair battle of the bands, the Journal Sentinel guy who had a long list of events to remember to name off, and me.  We decided we should all cross-promote.  The singers could sing about the evils of smoking and the bikers could confess to reading a certain historical novel during rest periods.  I’d rattle off Milwaukee events that Fanny Fern might like and the Journal Sentinel guy could quote a country song or two.  We all gushed over each other’s astute wardrobe choices (after seeing the singers, I wish I would have worn jeans) and took turns running to the bathroom.  We watched each other live, on the air, and hooted triumphantly when the song was nailed, the events remembered, the ride details flawlessly recited. 

I understand why they stuck us all together in one room for an hour.  We all kept each other from getting nervous and the hour literally flew by.  But, the bonus was that we all got to meet each other and got to be in a room overflowing with passion.  And, that, to me, was the best part.

To see a clip of the show, click here:  http://www.themorningblend.com/videos/126768943.html