You can probably guess what my favorite radio station is- and I trust that it’s your favorite, too.
My second favorite station is WGN in Chicago; it’s the station I listen to every morning as I travel from WGTD to Carthage- and whenever I’m out and about during the day. (In the evening, I opt for public radio of one kind or another, because WGN airs either an obnoxious sports show that belabors the obvious or an evening discussion program hosted by the single most pompous college professor on the planet. But during the day, it’s WGN for me. Part of what I like is that it’s a way for me to stay connected with the magnificent city of Chicago, where I used to live and a city that I still love.
There were two moments when I was especially glad to be listening to WGN today. At one point John Williams and Co. were discussing presidential contenders and how one can possibly find a candidate with whom you agree on every single issue. At one point when JW asked newscaster Steve Bertrand what he thought, he said that he liked what a caller had said a couple of weeks ago – who said that it’s impossible to know exactly what a given president is going to contend with in their term(s)- – – just what the circumstances will be as they wrestle with one concern or another – – – and what matters most is choosing someone who you strikes you as a good decision maker – the candidate who reacts well to tough situations – the candidate in whose character you can place your confidence – the candidate who perhaps has handled the adversity in their own life admirably. That caller to which Steve Bertrand was referring was yours truly ! At least I’m pretty sure of it. The day I went down to Lombard, IL to work with Paul Marchese’s choir, I called into kathy and judy when they were saying that they would have trouble voting for a candidate whose spouse had a serious health problem. As a big fan of John Edwards, I grabbed the phone and called to say that the impressive way they’ve handled Elizabeth Edwards’ cancer makes me even more inclined to vote for him – and that it even if you vote for someone without any such “distractions” in their life doesn’t mean that some distractions won’t come up. What matters is not the simplicity of their life but rather their ability to contend with life’s complexity and challenges.
The other moment today when it was really fun to be listening to WGN was when a lucky caller won their holiday Hi-Lo contest. This has been going on for quite some time- in which various callers call in and guess the dollar value of their holiday gift package – and they’re told “sorry, that guess was too high OR too low.” It’s like the slowest possible edition of the Clock Game on The Price is Right. But if listeners keep track of every guess, you can start to home in on the exact dollar amount. This afternoon, as I was traveling back to Carthage from Kathy’s school rehearsal, a woman called up John Williams- guessed $33, 504 – – – and WON ! It was the strangest thing, after weeks of hearing unsuccessful guesses, to hear someone finally get it right and win. I actually felt like I’d won the prizes, too. It helped that she was an especially nice and appreciative caller and you couldn’t help but be happy for her.
That’s radio at its best, I suppose. . . when the announcers feel like friends, and our fellow listeners feel like family. Sorry for the sappy saying, but that’s how it felt today.