The ABC Interview: Update & Quick Trip Highlights

So I just got back from my 2-day excursion to New York City for my forthcoming interview with ABC News by their correspondent Dan Harris. I am being featured in the premiere episode of a new show their doing called “Beliefs.” The official show will air in about a month but on Friday I will post a behind-the-scenes interview we also did. That’s all I know about that for now, but I will post updates here. Here are a few other miscellaneous thoughts from the trip:

*The crew was great. We talked a lot off-air about the music scene since I was in Strongarm. New York is the center for a lot of music, so it was fun. We talked about Helmet, Minor Threat, Gorilla Biscuits, 7 Seconds, and Fugazi. After the interview I expressed gratitude for the opportunity. I told them that while I have done about two dozen radio interviews, this was only my second television interview. “You’d never know it!” was the response from Dan.

*New York City invokes a lot of feelings, both romantic and non-romantic. The romantic? Being there just kept reminding me of baseball, Superman, King Kong, and all things iconic and Americana. The non-romantic? If you like paying entirely WAY more for something than it is actually worth, then New York City is the place to be. AND I couldn’t escape the smell of the city no matter where I walked. It kind of smelled like a bathroom that someone with a stomach virus has just used. Sorry NY, but it’s true…

*I also had the consummate New York City experiences. I was trying to sleep in a hotel room while sirens went off all night in the streets outside. I took two taxis, had a bagel, and ate Chinese food. But most importantly, I was rushing to catch a train (at Grand Central Station of course) and hadn’t eaten anything. There was a pretzel vendor on the concourse right there. So I grabbed one and handed the guy a 20 dollar bill. He barked (in a New York accent):

“Don’t you got anything smaller?“

I responded with, “No, but I can use my credit card if you’d prefer.” He ignored me and handed me my change. I said politely, “Sorry about that.” He finished with:

“You ain’t got nuthin’ to be sorry about. Now grab your pretzel and get outta here!”

*Lastly, I can’t believe I did an interview with ABC News. As I was leaving the city on the train this was the reoccurring thought that peppered my mind. I couldn’t read. I couldn’t work on the computer. I just sat there for two hours in a mental loop stuck on the magnitude of the moment. It also brought a sense of responsibility. I came to the realization that b/c of my title and content I will likely have many opportunities to represent what a follower of Jesus is before philosophically diverse audiences. This is both scary and exciting.

I hope I don’t screw it up too badly!