I don’t consider myself to suffer from O.C.D. though, admittedly, I may have a couple of OCD like tendencies. For example, whenever I eat at Subway, I have to fold the wrapping that my sub comes in, in a very specific manner. I have no idea why. I have no idea what started it. I just know that it’s one of my quirks, and I can’t seem to help myself.
One of my other OCD habits has to do with radio. Since the very first time I did a break at (then) 1470 C-HOW, I have had a pen in my hand. 14 years of radio, and never once have I cracked a mic without a pen in my hand. I can’t do it. Truth be told, I’ve actually had to skip breaks in the past when I didn’t have my pen readily available.
I’m not exactly sure what I think will happen. Perhaps the sky will fall? Perhaps I’ll open my mouth and the voice of a female will come out? Perhaps electric pulses will shoot from the end of the microphone and fry my brain? Honestly, I’ve never really given it much thought as to the consequences. I just know that I’ve never allowed it to happen in 14 years and I don’t intend to start now!
Not only do I need to have a pen in my hand, but I’m also very loyal to my pens. Like a dog or something. When I used to work at OPT my partners would make fun of me because I had the same pen from the day I started until the day I left there! I worked there for a year and a half. Some of them would steal my pen and watch me panic as I chased them to try and get it back. Again, not sure what started this. All I know is, it is what it is.
The pen I use at work (FM 92.1) is the pen I started with on my first shift there. It’s been a couple weeks shy of a year. It’s my good and faithful pen, and I’ve held it for every word I’ve ever spoken over the air. This afternoon, however, something unthinkable happened. In the second half of the 3p hour… my first hour on the air, my pen died!
If I told you I was unphased, I’d be lying. If I told you my voice didn’t get a little shakey during my first break after realizing it was dead, I’d be lying. I mean, I wasn’t going to break down and start crying. But I was definitely concerned about whether or not I could pull off the rest of my show. It totally messed with my head! Ridiculous, but true!
I continued to hold the pen while I told the sad story of it’s demise on my show. Anybody listening must have thought I was some kind of fruit loop. I confess, I questioned this myself! I even took a picture of my dear pen and posted it on the stations web site (http://bit.ly/r0rqo).
After sharing the story something happened that made everything OK again. A couple of girls listening to my show, Jessica and Laura, showed up at the station to drop off a new pen for me. I am not entirely sure of their motives. Perhaps they were just hoping I’d shut up about my pen. Or maybe they were genuinely concerned and trying to do a good deed. I will choose to assume the latter. All I know is, it made my day!
I didn’t throw out my old pen. In fact, I tucked it safely in my binder where it will likely remain for the rest of my broadcasting career. Now it will just have a friend to keep it company. A shiny new silver pen, from my two pen angels.
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