Here’s a third-hand item that I bet will be passed through many hands and keyboards….It’s a well-worn trope, but one that holds up well.  Directed at those on the pointy end of the sound system,  but of course relevant to anybody….

On Sun, 6 May 2012 12:33:55 -0400, Ron Olesko <rolesko@OPTONLINE.NET wrote:
I want to share something that I think might be of interest to all of us who host a radio series.

Chatting away on mic, we only imagine who is out there listening, and while we hope that our efforts connect with someone, we often are surprised when we see how much of an impact we have on others. Earlier this week, Garrision Keillor posted the following note on Facebook. I thought it is worth sharing –

A person never stops asking What is the point? Why do I do what I do? Well, last night at an event a young man named Richard, in a wheelchair, body contorted from some debilitating disease, maybe ALS, hardly able to scrunch the words out, but brain still functioning, told me he was a huge FAN of Guy Noir and Lake Wobegon and Writers Almanac and he took such delight in regaling me with all the stuff he loved, Emmylou, the sound effects, the St. Olaf choir, the cowboys. His head was rolling side to side, arms waving, hands frozen stiff, mouth gaping, spit flying, but he was transported with delight and laughing and laughing——- this isn’t the demographic one envisions——- one envisions an audience of cool people including kewl teenagers and twentyish hipsters. But here is my listener, Richard. He lives in a group home, and evidently radio is an intense experience for someone trapped in a twisted unwieldy body. I felt sort of redeemed. I’m not a saintly person, nor even especially high-minded, but for Richard’s sake, I’d like the show to be good. Other people can turn off the radio and go trotting off to a club; he can’t. So he’s going to be on my mind for awhile. Maybe we’ll do a sketch about an action hero in a wheelchair.  - Garrison Keillor

I’ve always felt that Garrision Keillor’s appeal has been his ability to put feelings into words that others share, but cannot articulate. His thoughts about his own programs after meeting Richard gives reason to those of us who produce programming, not for a a paycheck, but for a different kind of reward.  Those words give us justification as to why we push ourselves to improve our programs and strive for the best.  I like to think of it as an “unpaid vocation”. Thank you Garrison Keillor.