My recent appearance on Atlanta TV Channel 57 to
talk about my book, Born Three Times,
was a unique experience. The interstate
traffic pileups on the way to the TV station did little to calm my anxiety
level. Fortunately, we left early so I
had time to go over my previous interviews to prepare myself for the questions
I would be asked.
The other guests on the two hour program arrived and
were introduced. One of the guests was
an actor who played Officer Randy Goode on the TV series “In the Heat of the
Night” with Carroll O’Connor. He was there to sing and talk about his latest
project.
We all gathered around a conference table with our
program hosts to go over the schedule for the Atlanta Live broadcast. I asked
how long my interview was going to last. The host replied that my time on the
air was going to be 15 minutes and it would not be an interview. Instead, I was
expected to just tell my story and talk about my book for the whole time. My
brain went into overdrive and my mouth felt like cotton. Where would I start
and what would I talk about for that long?
We were ushered into the TV studio—a very cavernous
black box with lots of cameras, sound equipment, bright lights, and the set. I
nervously waited while the musicians played, and another guest talked about her
book and story. I watched the clock tick toward 8:00 PM. The producer came to escort me to the set and
pinned the “Mike” on my jacket collar. I wasn’t prepared for the very bright
lights that focused on me. I prayed I wouldn’t appear as nervous as I felt when
I opened my mouth and let the words flow. It was surprising that the time flew
so quickly and I was still going strong when the host said, we only had four
minutes left. The host made some final comments and it was over. My legs felt
like Jell-O as I headed back to where Charles was waiting, convinced I had made
a very poor showing.
The segment was replayed the next morning on the
same TV Channel and I got to watch my performance. It wasn’t as bad as I
thought. It isn’t often that we get an
opportunity to completely step out of our comfort zone and do something unique.
Stay open to the possibilities God might put in your path to tell your story. Keep
smiling-you never know who might be watching and listening.
So far I have been unsuccessful in uploading the
video of my interview to my blog. When I figure it out, I will post it for your
critique.