It’s just a number right?
Some people like to celebrate numbers that mean something. Today I celebrate the number 33. No this is not another edition of Sesame Street – although some of the characters who have been on that show over the years resemble some of the people I have worked with the past 33 years….but that’s another story for another time.
There it is! 33. Thirty-three is the number of years I have now worked on-air at CKDR! I celebrate 33 with YOU! In all honesty I celebrate YOU!! Because without you there would not have even been 33 years let alone 13 years or maybe not even 3 months. It’s true. Without YOU I would have been broadcasting my voice into a void of space. I would truly be relating stories and talking with people who…aren’t there…who aren’t real. Sounds crazy doesn’t it!? But it’s true and it sure wouldn’t be much fun. I’m pretty sure I’d bore myself and the people who aren’t there pretty quickly. Boring people who aren’t there? Now that’s crazy!
I know you’re out there. I hear from you every day. Whether it be by phone call, in person in-studio, on the street, at a local business, social media or by text. We connect every day in some way!
Celebrating 33 years of celebrating YOU and radio! 33 is just a number….but you’re not and that’s why today is about you and me together!
August 25th, 1987 – that was the day of my first spoken word over the air-waves of CKDR. That was the day that the microphone came on for the first time for me and you got to hear….nothing. I froze. The program director reached over, turned off the microphone, hit the button to play the commercials for me and said “You’ll talk. You’ll do it the next time.” He was right. And since then the radio journey has been one of reflection every day. At the end of each on-air shift I keep thinking….”They’re paying me to do this?!? Ssssshhhh!!” I often joke that while I’m at CKDR I’m on vacation and when I’m at home I’m at work.
Even though I didn’t realize it when I was younger – this is my dream job. Remembering back to when I was a little kid (slightly more than 10 years ago – contrary to popular belief) there was at least one very distinctive habit that shaped my future. My childhood best friend, Todd Hunt and I had a tape recorder that we used over and over to record our voices. My favourite thing to record was what I would hear all the time while my parents watched the news on TV. I would constantly try to mimick a news reporter. “…Bill Copps…CBC News.” We would record that. Listen back to it and then repeat the process over and over….and over. Just those 4 little words. Perhaps it was a little sign at the time of things to come in the future….or we were just that bored!
33 years. It’s never been boring and that’s in large part thanks to YOU! I can’t imagine the last 33 years being very entertaining, informative or successful without you. 33 is just a number but you’re not. You’ve played a large role in the success of my career and for that I am forever grateful. Thank you for being there and here, over there….everywhere!! We ‘work’ together to make things better for ourselves and for others. That’s what makes this relationship work. It’s one I cherish.
So on that note do know that I won’t be divorcing you anytime soon!! Let’s continue this happy marriage for a while longer shall we?! And good news – doing the dishes and taking out the garbage are not included in this relationship because I’m on ‘vacation’.
Thanks for listening!!
