Dear shoezle fans,

Like a pro!

Great news!  All your kind words and encouragement have spurred me to move outside the shoezle world.  My personal goal for 2013 was to publish an essay somewhere.   That means I send work to people I don’t know, get them to try it and hope they like it.  I got a bite!  Now I will experience two minutes of fame this week on Wednesday, April 3^rd.

I will read one of my works on the public radio station here in San Francisco, KQED and also home to NPR.  If you are local, you can hear me at 6:06 AM; 7:35 AM and 11:30 PM.  If you are not, check out the KQED Perspectives website where you can download the audio, stare at my photo and pretend you are experiencing the moment live. Click here for KQED link.

The radio segment is called “With A Perspective.”  If you recall, I have a pretty good perspective of the life and times of being a Frances/Francis.  And with Pope Francis joining the team, well who knew a new pope could create such a stir in my life and help me accomplish my goal.  My long letter was shortened to exactly two minutes if I read it out loud.  Once I got the rubber stamp, I dashed to San Francisco to record last Friday.

This sounds easy but it was at least 20 hours of writing and a bunch of back and forth with an editor whose middle name happened to be Francis and well, it was destiny.  My writer-workout buddies gave their two cents, a talented group of gals I meet with a couple of times a month.  With this incredible team, shoezle readers included, a fabulous piece was born.

My name was on a list for special parking privileges at the station.  I was so excited when the attendant checked me in and knew right away who I was, must have been the grin from ear to ear.  “You must be Francie.”  Whoa.  He got my name right!!! High five big guy!  I didn’t really offer; I didn’t want to look too much like I just fell off the apple cart.

Once inside, I am escorted up the elevators to a recording studio.  I meet Jim, my engineer.  (WOW!  Another, I gotta act like this happens all the time.)  He checked out all my paperwork.  I filled out all the legal stuff using my legal name, Frances.  The last paper I hand to Jim is the title of my piece, handwritten.  I nonchalantly yank it back.  “Ha.  I can’t believe I just did that.  I take a pen and change the “E” to an “i” in my title, “A Letter to Pope FrancEs.”  Not even I’m immune!!!  Jim didn’t laugh with me.  “Ah, Jim.  You will get this once you hear my recording.”

I sat at a large table where a big microphone with a circular sound diffuser and long adjustable arm stretched from the ceiling to me.  I wore headphones.  Jim moved the mike to the side of my head near my mouth.  “I feel like I’m at the eye doctor.”  Jim didn’t laugh as he responded, “It’s better than the dentist.”  I weakly chuckled.  The thought had crossed my mind but I was trying to be positive in all my nervousness.

Jim, my engineer sat at mission control behind a glass wall.  I felt sooo American Idol!  I read the letter through two times.  Jim will piece together everything so it sounds like I didn’t make any mistakes. (Secret.)

My confidence is up a bit and I recall how American Idol contestants operate.  “Excuse me Jim.  Can we use the first recording where I say my name?  It sounds cheerier.”  He flatly replies, “Ok.”  And Jim, “I think I added a ‘do” before hope.”  Deadpanned, “I’ll make the change in the script.”  He asks me to hang for minute to make sure he has enough good stuff.  “Wait! Are you coming back in this room Jim?”

“No.”

“But..”

“Just stay there for bit and then you can go.”  He must want lunch.

“No problem.  But can you come back in here and take a picture? i have a blog.”

“All right.”

Wow.  Jim is nice but I was kind of hoping he’d be less engineery and enjoy the moment with me.  Then he surprised me.  He took six pictures to get just the right shot.  And he doesn’t just say goodbye.  He says, “You’ll always be my Pope Frances.”

Hallelujah!  We made contact.

After all this hoopla around the letter, I thought the pope should get a copy of his own correspondence.  I mailed it off and am hoping he receives it.  Who knows, maybe I’ll get an autographed pic.

Anyway, shoezle readers, you are the reason I was inspired to find something fun to write.  So thanks to you, last week was an incredible ride for me, doing things I never thought possible.  And now the world will be a better place for Frances/Francis.

With love and appreciation,

Francie