Things change.
Okay. For anyone who hasn't been paying attention: last August I agreed to do a few months
on the Breakfast Club on 98 3 Fly FM for an ailing Brian Scott. The timeline was to be about 13 weeks or so. Since I was working for myself doing media stuff and freelance voice over, it seemed easy enough to add "Morning Show Host" to that mix for three months. What could possibly go wrong? I'd already vowed that I was finished with the radio business, and was actively pursuing all kinds of other career opportunities (at least that was the way it was worded on the note that went up at Corus the day they fired me).
Man, was I deluded!
I did a two hour "practice" show one night in early August just to see if I could still make it all work. That wasn't as bad as it could have been...but then again, it wasn't all that great either.
Then I went "live" doing what I used to do best - mornings! It did take me awhile to get the bug...almost four seconds. The first time I had the mic on, it all came back. That incredible rush that can't be described to anyone who's never done this job. It's kind of like your first kiss, Christmas, scoring your first goal, winning money, and standing on stage with everyone staring at you...all wrapped together...every time you flick on the microphone.
My teachers used to hammer it into my head, and my bosses did the same for years later - "never open a microphone without knowing exactly what you're going to say." Right. Never really got that notion. Thanks for the advice anyway. To this day that microphone switch fires off something deep inside my being that allows me to come forth with all manner of concepts, ideas and musings that heretofore were hidden inside my brain.
Now 13 months have past. Now my body is accustomed to waking up at 3am (!) zipping through the dark, silent house to prepare for the day. A quick goodbye to my barely-awake wife, and it's time to get on my bike and take the long way to work. I cram as much as I can into that brief hour before air time, then suddenly the whole show is screaming along like a finely tuned NASCAR machine.
Then it's nine o'clock, I'm off the air. I'd do a bunch of other stuff then hop back on the bike and usually be home by lunchtime. Even though I've got plenty to occupy my time after my show, I'd still slip in an hour of downtime. Ah that nap. An hour of heaven, with no alarm to end it.
I'll miss all that.
You see now Brian is back. His health has improved. He's ready to start up where he left off on the Breakfast Club.
Luckily, I'm working for some really great people. Instead of smiling politely as I walk to my car carrying a big brown box full of items from my desk...they figured a way to fooling the corporate types into keeping my on. My new show is 9am to noon. Now I get to 1) sleep in to 6:30!! 2) ride in rush hour 3) work with actual people in the building and 4) annoy everyone with my bike parked in the hallway, my smelly sweaty bike clothing strewn about and my incessant eating. I love it!
Heck, I might even get used to it. Except this is radio...and things change.
Okay. For anyone who hasn't been paying attention: last August I agreed to do a few months
on the Breakfast Club on 98 3 Fly FM for an ailing Brian Scott. The timeline was to be about 13 weeks or so. Since I was working for myself doing media stuff and freelance voice over, it seemed easy enough to add "Morning Show Host" to that mix for three months. What could possibly go wrong? I'd already vowed that I was finished with the radio business, and was actively pursuing all kinds of other career opportunities (at least that was the way it was worded on the note that went up at Corus the day they fired me).
Man, was I deluded!
I did a two hour "practice" show one night in early August just to see if I could still make it all work. That wasn't as bad as it could have been...but then again, it wasn't all that great either.
Then I went "live" doing what I used to do best - mornings! It did take me awhile to get the bug...almost four seconds. The first time I had the mic on, it all came back. That incredible rush that can't be described to anyone who's never done this job. It's kind of like your first kiss, Christmas, scoring your first goal, winning money, and standing on stage with everyone staring at you...all wrapped together...every time you flick on the microphone.
My teachers used to hammer it into my head, and my bosses did the same for years later - "never open a microphone without knowing exactly what you're going to say." Right. Never really got that notion. Thanks for the advice anyway. To this day that microphone switch fires off something deep inside my being that allows me to come forth with all manner of concepts, ideas and musings that heretofore were hidden inside my brain.
Now 13 months have past. Now my body is accustomed to waking up at 3am (!) zipping through the dark, silent house to prepare for the day. A quick goodbye to my barely-awake wife, and it's time to get on my bike and take the long way to work. I cram as much as I can into that brief hour before air time, then suddenly the whole show is screaming along like a finely tuned NASCAR machine.
Then it's nine o'clock, I'm off the air. I'd do a bunch of other stuff then hop back on the bike and usually be home by lunchtime. Even though I've got plenty to occupy my time after my show, I'd still slip in an hour of downtime. Ah that nap. An hour of heaven, with no alarm to end it.
I'll miss all that.
You see now Brian is back. His health has improved. He's ready to start up where he left off on the Breakfast Club.
Luckily, I'm working for some really great people. Instead of smiling politely as I walk to my car carrying a big brown box full of items from my desk...they figured a way to fooling the corporate types into keeping my on. My new show is 9am to noon. Now I get to 1) sleep in to 6:30!! 2) ride in rush hour 3) work with actual people in the building and 4) annoy everyone with my bike parked in the hallway, my smelly sweaty bike clothing strewn about and my incessant eating. I love it!
Heck, I might even get used to it. Except this is radio...and things change.
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