Ah, television. Now, I don't generally spend a lot of time in front of the tube (though I am guilty of the occasional Burn Notice or Castle marathon), but even a media caveman like myself can appreciate the excitement of being on the news. It hearkens back to my younger years, when getting my picture in the paper was automatically fridge-worthy, even if it was something relatively innocuous:
Sixth-Graders Eat Cake. Cat Found Living With Squirrel. Man Walks Down Street. Still, news is news, and televised news is a whole different monster from paper.
When I heard WCIA was going to feature Shelbyville in their upcoming "Our Town" segment, I was thrilled. My inner seven-year old immediately began planning the best ways to sneak in a surprise "Hi, mom," complete with a frantic wave and overenthusiastic smile. Thankfully, the adult part of my brain managed to distract it with shiny promises of candies and kittens.
The project was a massive undertaking, but what impressed me most had nothing to do with the final product (even though it was fantastic; check it out for yourself
by clicking here). I was most impressed by how such a varied crew -- composed of volunteers, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers employees, camera crews -- was able to come together so swiftly to ensure the program ran without a hitch. Though the heat was murderous, attitudes remained positive and participants did what was necessary.
Even handing out hot dogs and lemonade.
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Alas, our Tourism display did not end up on television.
My prime-time breakthrough will just have to wait ... |
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I wouldn't have imagined that handing out snacks in the summer heat would have been enjoyable, but it truly was. Don't underestimate the power of a cool glass of lemonade handed out with a smile, especially when the sun decides to crank it up into the triple digits. The advantage of such a position is it allows you to meet people from all facets of the project. It doesn't matter whether you're a cameraman, Corp worker, or visitor -- everyone needs a drink. And while there were those who simply smiled and returned the "hello", content to grab a snack without conversing, many of them hovered by the table to talk, if only for a short while. Local artist Dan Modzelewski stopped by while I was restocking. Putting a face to the name I'd known since first encountering his paintings drove home the sense of small town community that I've grown to love.
Though I don't have time to go into all of what WCIA covered during their stint in Shelbyville (check the links!), I will say it involves snakes, bobby pins, and farmers. Not all at once. That would be awesome -- and would probably involve the folks from Guinness or Ripley's Believe it or Not. Still, despite the disappointing lack of record-breaking, bobby-pin eating snake farmers, it's worth checking out.
Thanks to everyone who made it all possible!
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