My Appointment with a Microphone

Left to right: Mike Nelson, myself and Liza Raley.

Last Wednesday was another big day for BE THE GOLD! I was invited by KLCE Classy 97 to come in for an interview! I have always been more of an introverted, private person but I knew that it was an amazing opportunity. So I enthusiastically accepted the invitation.

I was scheduled to come in at 9am Wednesday morning. I slept little the night before. That morning, I kept forcing my body to do the list of things in order to get ready for the event; shower, eat breakfast, get the kids ready for the sitter, not hyperventilate.... ya know, the usual.

The babysitter was a little late from getting lost but I was more worried about the drive to the radio station in Idaho Falls. Fortunately, the drive was much easier of a task than I made it out to be in my mind (I had never been to Idaho Falls before). I got there, parked my van, took a deep breath and made my way inside.

HUGE microphone!

I was greeted by the lovely Liza Raley, one half of "Mike and Liza In The Morning". She walked me back to the booth where we would be recording. One major comfort to me was knowing this would be prerecorded! I met Mike Nelson who had a voice, even in person, that made you think, "Wow, that guy should be on the radio." which makes sense because he is.

Then they showed me my mic... the biggest mic I had ever seen in my life. I wished the picture I took would do it better justice. It looked much bigger in person. Despite the hugeness of it, I was told I needed to get within a couple of inches of the mic for proper sound. I was intimidated, to say the least.

They wisely chatted me up for a few minutes to get me warmed up. This included Mike mentioning that Classy 97 is the most listened to station in East Idaho (gulp). Then it was time. They pressed record and started the intro.

I was more relaxed after chatting with Mike and Liza but as soon as Mike started his intro, I could feel such a surge of adrenaline, I wasn't sure if when I opened my mouth if any sound would come out. It was an intense feeling of, "How on Earth did I end up here? I can't do this!".

But I did do it. That's how I know how passionate I am about this movement. I have figured out how to override my brain and do scary things I would never normally do, all because I truly believe in this. When I say "Let's change the world." I really do believe that. I honestly feel it is my calling in life. Without that conviction I would never be able to power through the sleepless nights or the scary, intimidating moments. I let go of my fear and jumped in with both feet because at the end of the day, I want to know I did all I could to make this happen. Hopefully, I can motivate others to feel the same.

After we were done, Mike and Liza gave me a round of applause and I sheepishly accepted their compliments. I gave them some BE THE GOLD pins and we took some pictures. All and all, it was a wonderful experience. I am happy that it went so well, not only because it was great exposure for the movement but also because it will make the next scary thing seem a little more overcome-able. Thank you Mike and Liza for making this such a pleasant experience!

The recorded interview was to be played the next morning at 6:15am and 8:15am. Regrettably, I slept through the first airing after a night of baby-tending-to. At 8am, I was glued to my computer, listening online to the broadcast. 8:15am neared and I started getting nervous and clammy all over again. Then they cut to the weather report and immediately after I heard the familiar intro I heard from Mike the morning before. Oh, the mix of emotion listening to it! I was so excited. I was so nervous. I was plagued with the thought that my voice sounded horrible and my words were so not eloquent. I was just sitting there listening with my eyes open as wide as possible as if they would help me hear the interview better. It was surreal.

I look back at it now and it feels like a dream. If not for the recording, I would file it away in my mind as something too good to be true. Thank you Classy 97 for your generosity in inviting me for the interview and the air time it received!