My brief career in Live TV began and ended today. I was an ‘auctioneer’ on our local Ideastream Public TV auction. My first appearance went okay…hawking some donated items before the camera. I was introduced as a representative of Ohio Nursery and Landscape Association (not sure why) and I got to talk briefly about our nursery. But when I came back on, a half hour later, to read about the ‘winners’ with high bids…it was a nightmare. The camera lady said ‘you’re on’ before I received the papers I was supposed to read from. They were out-of-order. I stammered and got flustered…a dummy-in-the-headlights.

Scratch that career off the list of things I want to do when I grow up.

My brother, David, wisely decided to work in the ‘warehouse section’…shuttling auctioned goods upstairs in the freight elevator and then bringing them back down to the ‘warehouse’ in the basement. The scene in the Ideastream Westfield Theater on Playhouse Square was absolute pandemonium and we both enjoyed being part of it! Another vantage point on our wonderful City.

Despite my misfortunes in front of the camera, I really enjoy being a member of the ‘Community Advisory Board’ for Ideastream in Cleveland…the people who bring us NPR and Public TV. It’s a stellar group of Clevelanders and once every three months I get to represent ‘Lake County’ and ‘Ag Interests’ in a forum that helps determine programming.