My Jerry McGuire Moment

Just a few of the things I’ve seen and heard that make me want to listen longer, scream, donate, find a new line of work, and keep coming back because public radio makes a positive difference in this world. You can decide which items below go with each of the categories listed above.

* The people we’ve come to know by first name: Cokie, Nina, Robert, Susan, Linda, Scott, Ira, Carl, Garrison, and, of course, Bob. The names on your list are probably different, but no less important.

* Tavis Smiley asking a highly successful 15-year old professional race car driver who gets the final word on his dating… he or his mom? The silence right after the question was golden.

* A station manger putting a contest winner’s name back in the hat because the person had not made a contribution.

* Standing in Grand Central Station listening to stories at the Story Corps booth.

* Peter Sagal interviewing Adam West.

* Program directors and program producers misrepresenting the size of their audiences.

* The way Terry Gross brings out the everyday person in famous people.

* Gifts for “dads and grads.”

* People praying for Neal Conan’s safe release and return during the first Gulf war.

* Car Talk winning a Peabody.

* Challenge grants that aren’t real.

* The fundraising professional who enthusiastically and effectively makes the case for supporting her station, even though it’s the third radio pledge drive, on top of the three pledge TV drives she's done this year.

* Any story by John Burnett.

* Alex Chadwick’s writing.

* How we sometimes bend our own rules to make a buck.

* Receptionists skilled at clearing ice from satellite dishes.

* Carl Kasell delivering “headlines” about efforts to restore funds for his coffee machine in the NPR budget.

* Anne Garrels speaking, and crying, in front of a room full of colleagues at the 2003 PRPD conference.