Thank goodness for friends who still email you when you've chalked yourself off as being forgotten. Darlene, who I spent ten years working with in television work (arguably the best ten years of my life) emailed me to say she would like me to attend the last production session of her cable access show. I emailed her back today to let her know I will be there, barring any problems at work.
Television is what I'm supposed to be doing, and what I received an honors degree for in college back in 1997. Though I basically worked behind the scenes, I've also done some on-camera shows myself about sports & local history. In the last four or so years, however, I've been way-layed by my job and a condition that had me hospitalized last year and keeps popping up today from time to time - not to mention egos of jealousy & resentment from people I thought I knew working with.
Many people quote the Thomas Wolfe saying, "You can't go home again." TV production was always home for me. Compare the 2006 version of me with the 1997, and you see two totally different people. I was not the friendless friend I harped on a few days ago in this space. I had friends left & right, plus important contacts with people of all walks of life. I was wearing suits & ties to formal meetings, not parading around as the gap-toothed "sweathog" I am at work now. It's almost as if I went from upper- to lower-class in the span of nine years. To say I want to get back to what I knew then is like saying birds need bread in the winter to survive in Michigan: obvious logic.
But what's the best way to approach it? The best way to re-establish contacts with these same people who I know have written me off as bitter and with an agenda? I have no agenda. If I was cocky before, I'm more humble now. I can look at them straight in their faces and tell them. Will I take the ball and run with it? Absolutely. It's doing them a favor and doing me a favor by enabling me to forget the past nine years. I would do the same for anybody if the roles were reversed.
But how to get them to believe me, and to pay attention to someone who truly wants to help and make a difference? And show them I mean it this time?
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I read with interest in today's paper about President Bush signing the "Respect For Fallen Veterans" act, which prohibits protests at military funerals and has harsh penalties for violators. I was ready to pounce on this as being another infringement on our Bill Of Rights, but I am now convinced this was the right thing to do. Just take a look at what people are protesting; more about the sexual preferences of some of the military and our country's acceptance of it. There are other outlets for the opposition to speak their minds; right in the middle of a solemn ceremony honoring our fallen heroes is not the place to do it. I do not consider that to be a violation of the Constitution.
I do not support the Middle East initiative and the way we've been going about it, but as a military unit in whole, I will always support the troops. For what they have done, my thoughts are with them, regardless of what qualities the individual may possess on their own time.
