I'm in the newspaper today.
It's been a while.
I used to be in it all of the time. Television and radio too. A master of soundbites and a popular person to be interviewed, I was always being asked what I thought. We created a lot of news too and I worked with people who knew how to make it.
Of course I also had a lot of help.
Avis Coleman used to interview me all of the time whenever it was a slow news day and she needed a story for WTOC where she worked as a reporter. If nothing was happening in Savannah that day, she'd call me and ask me what was going on. I'd make something up and if it sounded plausible it would be on the evening news.
There wasn't as much happening back then in "Slow-vanna" so I was on television a lot.
Rick Hunter was a DJ who did his own Sunday morning interview series and he often asked me to be on the show. We always had a blast. Rick cracks me up and we laughed a lot. A 30 minute show took a couple of hours to tape because we were having such a good time with one another.
We became good friends and still stay in touch though he's in Macon now.
Orlando Montoya worked for National Public Radio and also interviewed me a lot. It's hard to not like Orlando. Quiet, unassuming, meticulous, and steady he was the opposite of Rick. His interviews were always serious.
Over time we became friendly with each other and shared things from our personal lives. I don't know what Orlando is doing these days but I'm certain he's doing it great. I wish him the very best.
Then there's Skutch. Jan Skutch looks like an actor in a B movie playing a reporter but the fact is HE IS A REPORTER for the Savannah Morning News! He is the absolute best I've ever worked. The man cares about his craft and understands the power of the pen. He always called me to read my quotes back to me to make certain they were right.
Of course when he called he often began by asking, "Mike can you just tell me what in the hell is going on?"
This was often followed by, "Are you out of your mind?"
We also became very good friends and though we don't talk as often as we used to, we both understand either can pick up the phone at any time and the other will answer.
I'm no longer in the press though. Stacy Jennings called and asked me to write something and there's no chance in hell of saying no to her so I dropped everything I was doing and wrote.
It's funny to look at today. There's a picture that Sarah doesn't like because it doesn't look like me these days. It's buried at the end of a long special section meaning I'm a "has been." They even changed my by-line to describe what I used to do and didn't mention what I'm up to now (launching www.letustellit.).
Oh well.
That's the way it goes.
I've had way more than my fifteen minutes of fame so I shouldn't be bothered by any of this.
I'll tell you something though.
I've got another fifteen coming.
