Well, being on internet radio on the show ‘All Things that Matter’ with ‘A Mouth Full of Shell’ and ‘Snap Me a Future’ was an interesting experience. The host, Phil Harris, is in Maine, in the middle of the nor’easter that’s currently pounding the Eastern seaboard, so all afternoon his phone lines were shaking. He kept e-mailing me about the storm’s progress and it’s affect on local communications. First we were on, then off, then on, and then off as the technology shuddered under rainy, snowy wind blasts. Well, about 5:15 New Mexico time, he told me we were off. I got ready to head home from work. But just before I did, intuition, or a guardian angel/spirit, or something made me check the mail box once more. He was sending me frantic messages, WE’RE ON. WE’RE ON. The storm had paused. So I made contact, and we did the show.

In some ways Phil was like a regular radio host, asking questions, but in other ways, he was different. First, he wasn’t plagued by advertising. We didn’t need to take breaks to talk about beer or jet planes, or bras every fifty seconds. So we could chat for a half hour about my books ‘Snap Me a Future,’ and ‘A Mouth Full of Shell,’ and their themes. Of course in part, Shell’s theme is to learn to trust your intuition. When people are telling you stuff that doesn’t add up, trust your gut and you’ll know what’s right. One of Snap’s themes in ‘don’t pinch the pot at the pueblo.’ In other words, if you visit Native American ruins, leave the artifacts where you found them. Phil and I spent a good deal of time talking about the Antiquities Act of 1906, and the tragedy of people stealing pots and tools from sites.

We started a little late, because I got the message a tick after 5:30, when we had scheduled that I would call Phil. Well, there wasn’t another show following his, so we went ahead and chatted an extra five minutes. Unlike traditional radio, which runs by the second on the clock, the whole experience of internet radio was flexible and fun. If you want to hear my broadcast with Phil Harris, go to www.internetvoicesradio.com Find his link. You can get a Podcast at this point in his archives.

On another subject, but in a way related: I entered a national photo show a few weeks ago. Generally, if they reject your work, they send your slides or digital photos back to you with a little form letter that is usually so cheesy you can almost hear someone wailing ‘I’m sorry, so sorry–,’ in a country twang or a fake southern accent. When I withdrew the return package from the mail box, I thought I felt two digital photos CDs under the outside padding so braced for rejection I went back to the house. When I opened the package, the two CDs were there all right, but I also had a letter of acceptance for one of the photos. This was confusing because usually, if a show like that accepts a work, they keep the slide or CD, so they can identify the art later, if need be. I called the show’s curator and he uttered a cry of joy. They had been turning the museum upside down looking for the CD of my work for the accepted piece. Somebody had inadvertently tossed both CDs into my return envelope.

The Moral of these ramblings? Take a tip from ‘A Mouth Full of Shell.’ Never second guess the weather or the guy/gal judging the show. Listen to your intuition, even when you think common sense tells you something else. It may neither be common nor sensible.

Posted on April 16th, 2007 by Connie Gotsch
Filed under: General