Nightmares Can Come True

We all have nightmares. Things we fear for good reasons and things we fear for no rational reasons at all. well one of my biggest nightmares came true the other day.

No, bagheaded people didn't invade my home and I didn't wake up with a teletubby next to my bed (I really would die you know) but this was almost as bad.

I had a phone call at work. The lady on the phone explained that she worked for the local ABC News channel. My first thought was that I was about to get pitched an advertising package. By the end of the call I was wishing I had been. Instead, she was a reporter. She called to talk about the truckers shut down.

The truckers in our area parked their trucks last week to protest the cost of fuel and for not being compensated with a rate hike. Many have and are going out of business. The port in our city is the fourth largest in the US, so when freight doesn't move people get nervous.

Back to my nightmare. After talking with her about the shut down for five minutes, she asked if she could come interview me in person. I agreed. And that's when it turned into one of my one of my worst fears.

You understand it will be on camera?

*pause* Um... no I didn't. I don't think I'd be too good at that.

Sure you will. I'll edit out the bad parts.

*pause* No thank you, I think I'd rather pass.

Oh, you'll be fine. I'll take care of everything. Can I come at 1:00?

*pause* *pause* Sure... why not. *sigh*

Then I hung up the phone and went about worrying for the next three hours. It didn't help that the office staff know how much I hate the spotlight and took full advantage of the situation.

At 1:00 she showed up. We went outside were her cameraman was setting up. I was as nervous as tick but not too nervous to notice a second cameraman and another reporter to my right, FILMING already. The reporter that called me noticed me looking at them. (As if there was a chance I wouldn't see them?) She explained they were a film crew from TV GUIDE , filming a documentary on how the news was put together. WTF?! I didn't want to be on one camera now there's two?!

The interview went as I expected. I felt like a goober. Especially at the end when she asked if I had anything to add? I said no. Then there was a loooooooong uncomfortable pause. I've seen this many times on TV and the person being interviewed feels compelled to start speaking. This is where they usually say something stupid. I have always vowed never to speak if I was ever in the same situation... So I rambled on for a few minutes before realized how stupid I was sounding. I hated every minute of it and was relieved when it ended. I didn't even ask when it would be on TV. Though the reporter assured me it would be edited down to just a few seconds of air time. That's a few seconds more than I wanted. I still don't know why they picked me or how they found me.

After it aired (on two channels) my brother said I didn't look and sound like as much of a hick as another guy they interviewed. Umm, Thanks... I think.