Oh My Gosh! That's Carole Mikita!

As a child I often watched the news and loved the way the news anchors looked professional and talked about important stuff and sat at an impressive desk. I wanted to do that. I really did. I wanted to be on T.V. so I could tell people the news and wear lipstick and business suits.

When I was a Senior in high school my English teacher handed me a flyer advertising try-outs for Spin (a weekly news program delivered by teens for teens). I didn't know how my teacher had known that it was my dream, but I took it as a sign that I was made for that show.

I went to try-outs and spent all day waiting and waiting and waiting for my turn. Finally I was told to move to the news desk and was given a paper containing my line: "After the commercial there will be more news coming right at you on Spin!"

I looked up at the anchors I had watched all my life and I was suddenly nervous. I swallowed and belted "After the commercial there will be more news coming right at you on Sprin!"

I said Sprin. I said it with feeling and enthusiasm and a big smile. And then I sat down. 

I didn't end up making the show. I'd really blown it. And right there I gave up on that dream of delivering the news to living rooms across the state. And I decided that life would be simpler if I blamed the news anchors for it. So I did.

Carole Mikita was my main target, followed closely by Shelley Osterloh. They were easy to make fun of because they'd been demoted from anchoring the news to doing special reports on things like butter sculptures at the State Fair, and Mormon Tabernacle Choir concerts. They no longer told the hard truth but served up feel-good fluff.

And so I'd continued in my hurtful ways until last weekend. While watching the Bountiful Pioneer Parade I saw an amazing sight: Carole Mikita working the crowd, shaking hands, smiling, and advertising her station.  It was a sight to behold and my bitterness instantly melted.

At Dan's insistence, I ran up to her for a picture. I blurted, "You are my idol!"She seemed genuinely touched. So, I guess that even though I pretended to be bitter, my love of the news is still strong. Thanks, Carole Mikita, my idol, for reminding me of that.