Radio: The Gateway Drug

Soul Talk. If it wasn’t already the name of a great radio show, I would have to steal the title for my next book. Instead, I was invited to be a guest on the show so they get to keep their name and I’ll come up with another intriguing and deep title by which everyone will be fascinated. The host of the show, Desiree, who goes by Jahdaa, asked me to come on as a guest a few weeks ago and we recorded the live interview last night on St. Patrick's Day.

I admit, I was nervous going into it. Though I have spoken many times before an audience, I have never been on the radio much less on the air live.What if I couldn't think of what to say right away? Silence is not golden on the radio and there have been many times speaking I would like to edit what I said, or didn't say as the case may be. One has to think on their feet in speaking and especially on the radio. You have to be interesting, entertaining, and informative. This would definitively be a new experience, a challenge in which I was untested.

The premise is pretty simple: "There is one question that is asked of every guest: 'Are you doing what you have come here to do and being who you have come here to be?'" Desiree goes on to explain, "This question traverses all genres of art, music, writing styles, color, creed, nationality and beliefs. This concept comes from a deep knowing that if EVERYONE did what they have come here to do, World Peace would ensue! And, if one is not doing what they have come here to do, how can we help? Sometimes the act of hearing what another experiences is all one needs to pursue their authentic path. Bless it up with your essence!" 

So last night I arrived at the studio ready to do what I could to "bless it up with [my] essence." Books in hand,  courage screwed to the sticking place, I was ready and looking forward to it. I really was! During a song break, Desiree came out of the recording room to invite me in and asked if I was nervous. "A little, yes," was my reply. I took a seat my the microphone and she gave me a pair of headphones to wear in which I would be able to hear her when we were recording. A quick run through on the program for the evening and we were ready to go.

After the initial introductions, Desiree and I dove into the conversation. One of our first topics was my writing, the books in particular, and I shared what writing was like for me, and how it felt to be so truly vulnerable with an audience. She asked how I was able to be so honest with what I thought and felt and I told her, I know the value of my own soul, my value with God. I know that value can't be touched. When a person reads my words or are buying one of my books, they are not buying a piece of me, they are buying a photograph taken at a point in time. I hope that image is true. I pray it speaks to souls. But I am able to say what I do because I know the books are not me. I also know God uses them in ways I don't expect and can't predict so I have that assuredness it's not all about me either.

As many of you will already know due to the lack of posts on this blog, it has been a quiet time period for me. Yet it hasn't been unproductive. In these months, I have written devotionals, articles, and have been editing what I have written thus far for the next book. But as I told Desiree, we all need times of quiet to experience life and grow in our crafts. Though the output has been small, my input has been great and I am a better writer because of what I have seen and heard and done. 

After such a period, it always does take courage to put pen to paper and be vulnerable once more. I have no control over who reads the books or reads this blog. But radio was a new challenge for me. I naturally go deep, honest and real. I get passionate and I knew the radio show would be no different. I was ready for that, ready to give my soul free-reign to traipse in whatever topics came to the surface. And a variety of topics did come up. One after another. In my writing or conversations that lean toward the spiritual direction realm, my mouth will oftentimes take what it hears from my soul, bypass my brain entirely, and just release the words into the air. These words have the power to surprise and teach me as much as anyone else resulting in moments  such as when I was redesigning the Advent devotional, Encountering the Holy, when I thought, "I wrote that? Wow!" Sometimes, we don't know what is inside ourselves until we let it get out without a leash.

So how did I answer the one question Jahdaa asks every guest? I told her I believed our souls are on a journey and what we are meant to do and be changes as our journey progresses. I can write and speak anywhere but being present to my friends, gathering life-experience and wisdom, being Amy's "favorite Sarah", those are things I am meant to be doing right now. Though the large question of what I'll be doing tomorrow looms before me, if I let it take up too much space in my thoughts, I won't be doing what I am here to do today.

In the end, the joke was on me. While answering her questions, I found the attempt to reply was the answer in itself. I feel most myself, my truest self, doing precisely what I am here to do when my soul is talking. I am acting upon exactly what God gave me to do when I have a microphone or pen in hand and it felt effervescently invigorating. Though I have never done drugs, to me, the interview felt like what it would be to  try for the first time an addicting, mind-altering drug and crave more of it. I loved everything about last night. I loved the conversation, the microphones, the music, all the lights and the "On Air" sign shining red. I loved who I was in that room. I loved seeing my soul take off without me trying to reign it back in. I am hooked. 

Thank you Desiree for giving me the opportunity to do exactly what I was placed here to do. I am grateful.

For those interested in hearing the broadcast, Desiree will be giving me a recording of the show and I'll add it to this post as soon as she does. In the meanwhile, listen to her show, "Soul Talk" in the Salem area and surrounding towns on Saturday evenings at 88.5 FM from 8-10 pm.

Its... Its... LiveWire! Radio Show!

Every morning this week I have walked by a set of open doors with the smell of freshly baked bread wafting around me. I love this smell and it has been a great reminder of the verse, "His mercies are new every morning." In the original language, these words allude to the baking of bread every morning that would be eaten duing the day. It is a lovely, beautiful smell to start my morning with. In my life, a lot of things seem to be coming into being all at once like several loaves of bread being served up out of the oven at once. There are many new paths to take, many new things to enjoy. So much so, that I feel like I am entering into a new chapter in my life, not because of any major life change, but I can hear the music going into a new and rather surprising movement. I like it, it is filled with many of the things I have wanted to do in my life but wasn't sure how they would come about. It is quite exciting even as as they come with a long list of "To Do's".

In the midst of all this, God, or Papa as I have come to call Her, (See "The Shack" by William P. Young - www.TheShackBook.com. That's another post), has brought things into my life that feed my love to laugh and to make others laugh in turn. The biggest one of these is a live radio show called LiveWire! Their tagline is "Variety for the eyes, vaudville for the mind." And they certainly deliver. I discovered this show through an actress I know, also incredible, who is in many of the comedy sketches they perform. For months I had been wanting to check it out but until April, I had been unable to attend their show. Then, in late March, I heard some of their broadcast before I headed in to see a play at the Salem Repretory Theatre, my favorite theatre troupe. What I heard made me laugh so hard that I knew I had to see this show in person. So for April, I made it a priority, bought the ticket, and made plans to go after attending my niece's second birthday party in Portland, Oregon. (Portland is where they record the show in front of the live audience.) I knew the general area around the Aladin Theatre so had little trouble finding a place to park and easily saw the line stretching around the block to get in. Once in this old style theatre, I found a seat near the front, (usually my favorite place in any theatre), next to someone who turned out to be the author they were interviewing that night. I was excited. I knew this was going to be good and just the sort of thing I loved. From the beginning, with music, interesting interviews, comedy, and audience participation, I was in my element. If I had tried, I could not have created something more lively or entertaining. I think I was laughing most of the time, it was SOOOO funny!

The interview with the author was one of my favorite parts as she said many things I took to heart such as, "If you can't marry money, don't marry insecurity." What she meant by this was don't marry someone who is not supportive of your work as a musician, artist, writer, dancer, or whatnot. Marry someone who will encourage you, believe in you, and encourage your creativity. As a single artist in my late twenties, this was fantastic advice. I think I will always remember it. She was someone who wrote hugely succesful science fiction books starting in the 50's and 60's continuing into today and raised a family when doing both was unheard of. She said in those days, you usually had books or kids, not both, and they came from the same place. As an author myself, I knew exactly what she meant. Being an author of a published book is like having a kid and writing and publishing it is like giving birth. It is a common metaphor within the author circuit. During intermission, I asked her how she did it, published books and raised a family at the same time? She told me her husband had been incredibly supportive by sharing in the taking care of the kids and the house so she would have time to write. It was so nice to know both could indeed be done. I think there are many artists out there with kids and it does take a supportive spouse and/or community aruond them that values their art and works in partnership with them. If I ever marry, that is is a quality I'll be looking for. My art is incredibally important to me and vital to who I am as a person.

So as an artist, I loved the creative elements of LiveWire! It's a fun show led by lots of very creative and fun people. I would highly recomend it to anyone who loves to laugh, is open to all types of expression, and can enjoy irreverence in the good humor in which it is written and performed.

The day after their show I looked up their website, www.LiveWireRadio.com, and listened to their podcasts of previous shows while I worked on a quilt a woman in California commissioned me to make. I must admit, I spent most of that Sunday afternoon in laughter. Even their interviews are both interesting and filled with humor. At a time when so much is going on in my life and it feels like I always have a long list of things to get done, laughter is a wonderful and delightful release. No matter how many times I listen to those shows, they still make me grin and laugh. I highly reccomend them, especially if you live outside the area and can't go see a live recording.

So thank you LiveWire! for doing what you do, you have brought a lot of laughter and joy into the lives of many including my own. I already have plans to see the May 17th show and am looking forward to going again, and again, and again... You made a fan out of me!