Dr. Drew, Thank You For Taking My Call...

One of the coolest things about being a writer is all these people that I have met, but not actually met. So last night, when a fellow blogger was going to be interviewed on Dr. Drew, I was pretty excited. I would love to say that I was watching just to support her, but it was an excitement part as well. I kept telling my husband - I know her, I know her!

As I was watching CNN beforehand, I got to
see their promotions for Julie's segment. I
am just happy I got a chance to watch
a fellow writer in action.

Now this fellow blogger, Julie DeNeen from Life According to Julie, was doing a follow up interview on GSA, genetic sexual attraction. After looking at the link talking about her appearance on the show, and seeing all the negative feedback, I was just dumbfounded. How many people out there are willing to spout off their opinions without actually educating themselves on what is going on. It wasn't that they were ignorant, it was just that they were ignorant on Julie's story. They didn't know her story from anything else, but they were quick to pass judgement.

Naturally, she was freaking out. I know I would have been too. It is a bit of a taboo subject and I commend her for stepping forward and talking about it. She asked if anybody would be willing to call in and give some positive comments. At first, even though I would do anything for another fellow writer, I thought there is no way I can call. It had nothing to do with the subject. But I was incoherent. I had a killer headache from cracking my head open the night before. My thoughts would be a train wreck and I would end up sounding like an idiot. Who cared that you couldn't actually see me on TV, you would be able to hear me!

So what did I do? I waited until about 5 p.m., an hour before the show was to take place live. I thought, I could go to the link and I could go ahead and add my input. Maybe they could scroll what I said on the bottom of the screen. That way I could show my support but not necessarily by talking on the other line. Besides, I already knew a few people had already gotten the call back from Dr. Drew. They would be on well before me.

So I hit send and I was pretty happy I could show my support but I didn't have to talk in front of people. I am not quick on my feet anyway. With my head cracked in half, I would be even slower.

So, like usual, my husband called me on my way home. That is when I heard the phone ring on the other end. It wasn't a number I recognized, so I told my husband that Dr. Drew was most likely calling me... and he was! (Well, one of the producers anyway!) So they asked if it would be ok if they called me back so I could talk on the show.

Ok - no problem! My plan failed. Opps! Now I needed a plan. I couldn't go into this empty minded. So I typed out a script. This is what I would say. I wanted to sound supportive. I didn't want to sound idiotic. Now I was nervous, but they also said it was a good possibility they might not get to me. Ok - I can relax a little.

Not even 5 minutes later, they called me again. It was 5:53 p.m. She asked me if I would mind staying on hold for a bit. That they wanted me to talk on the show. Ok - so I guess I was really going on. And there I sat, on hold.

I sat on hold for awhile. I started worrying that if they didn't get to my call soon, it would be dropped as my battery was running on it's last leg. But let me tell you, it was the weirdest feeling ever. It was like deja vu. I could hear everything before it even happened. I couldn't concentrate on the show. I was waiting for Dr. Drew to say my name. But they took caller after caller. Darn, I wasn't going to be on after all. They would never get me. Yet none of these callers were offering any type of support whatsoever. I was getting angry. So much for throwing in some positive spins and some support.

And that is when it happened. Dr. Drew asked for the next name. It was mine. I was sweating buckets. I wiped the perspiration from my forehead. Thank goodness I had a script sitting in front of me. I was nervous. So I started reading in what I hoped was a voice that didn't sound like I was reading. I even started it off saying, "Dr. Drew, thank you for taking my call..." The girl before me did it. It sounded professional.

That is me, on the phone with Dr. Drew. Ok -
so it is before I started talking. Right after this
you saw Julie smile.

But then, I got sidetracked. Dr. Drew cut me off. Oh no... I was losing my mojo. I didn't say everything I wanted to say....

Regardless, I did think it went well. And I am glad that I was able to get through. As my voice came across on the TV, you could instantly see the tension removed from Julie. It was worth the smile on their faces, even if it was a good possibility that I sounded like an idiot. And nasally - I hate what my voice sounds like when it isn't in my head!

However, this is what I really wanted to say, because I got cut off. The last thing I got to say to them was something about how not many marriages would survive this type of ordeal. That didn't come across how I intended it. So here is what I intended to say... mind you... I have a tendency to blarf in words a lot. This was my attempt at keeping it short.

"I read the book Wanted and I truly can’t find any way to judge her, especially after reading all the comments I saw on Facebook. If anything I have more compassion. I never heard of GSA before and Wanted was a book that I just could not put down until I finished. And then all I wanted to do was go out and give her a hug and shake her husband's hand. There isn’t too many people that can survive this with their marriage in tact. I give her and her husband both props. They are strong together and it really does show. She truly was the victim in this situation and her bravado lets others know that it is ok to come forward and get help if they need it." 

Overall, I may have been nervous, but I am glad I got the opportunity to be on the show. I don't know how they choose who is going to go on, but I am glad that they choose me to talk. I am glad that I was able to offer my support, even if it was in a small way as just a phone call. 

I also wanted to point out that Julie's memoir, Wanted, is a great read. It doesn't matter if you are looking for information on GSA, or just a well-written story. I couldn't put the book down until I finished with it. She has a way with words that drew me into the story. I laughed - I cried -- I felt like I was inside the story. So check it out and support a fellow writer. I am sure you won't be disappointed. You can get the book by clicking here.

Now, I just hope this wasn't her 15 minutes of fame or mine. Oh what am I talking about - with a support group like Bloppy Bloggers - the push to take yourself beyond your expectations is there. Personally, I think this is just the beginning.