I Didn't Do It ~ A Collection of Car Accidents

     Most people have probably experienced a few minor fender benders in their lifetime.  Sometimes a more serious accident can occur.  Sometimes an animal can jump out in front doing damage to the car.  Accidents can happen anytime and anywhere.  It just takes a split second to alter someone's life forever.  Luckily I have never been in a major accident.  The few that I have been in have been really minor.  The largest animal that has crossed my path has been a raccoon.  The raccoon has done some minor damage to my car and I was thankful the tires to my vehicle took its revenge. 

    In my first accident good ol' Murphy was looming nearby.  I was 16 in the year of 1993 and received my license a few months before.  I have been driving for some time before that as friends would let me drive their car.  A guy that I was dating at the time and I wanted to do a little shopping.  There was a Family Dollar Store on the other side of town, probably not on the best side of town, that I liked going to.  My mom gave me strict instructions not to go on the other side of town and to stick on our side of the Saginaw River.  I had the guy I was dating drive my mom's 1988 Cadillac Eldorado.  That was another rule I was breaking that day.  No one except immediate family was supposed to drive that car.  He pulls into the strip mall parking lot and drives slowly down the main aisle.  A lady who was not paying attention comes flying down one of the side aisles and T-bones the side of the Cadillac.  A huge dent appeared in the side of the car.  I felt doomed.  Here I was in a place I wasn't supposed to be, with someone else driving the car and someone runs into me.  Needless to say I was grounded for a long time.

     Two years had passed.  During that time we moved to Grandville.  I was driving down Chicago Drive, with the same car as the previous accident, approaching the intersection of Wilson.  There were a line cars in the right lane.  I was in the left lane slowing down my speed to stop at the red light.  A car in the right lane became inpatient and tried to steer into the left lane.  He didn't look around before he made the maneuver because as he pulled out he rammed into the front right side of the Cadillac.  The light cracked and there was damage all the way up to the door.  The officer who came on the scene afterwards finished pulling off the trim off the wheel well cutting his hand.  The other driver was cited for the accident.  The Cadillac, again, had to be shipped off to the shop to get fixed. 

     That winter I was attending college at Grand Valley State University.  I was driving through the campus one evening heading back to my dorm at Kistler Hall.  I was stopping at every crosswalk letting students pass by.  I look up in my rearview mirror and seen a plow truck, which is plow raised, coming right at me.  His speed wasn't slowing.  I looked ahead of me and watched the students walking in front of the Cadillac.  I couldn't move.  I closed my eyes and pressed harder on the break.  SMASH!  The car lurched forward.  The students in front of the car jumped out of the way.  I put the car into park and stepped outside.  The driver of the plow truck put his truck in reverse a bit and stepped out of the truck.  We both met behind the car to examine the damage.  Amazingly there was none.  Those who witnessed the accident even had to look.  They were impressed that there wasn't even a ding on the bumper.  We resumed on our way and I pulled into the parking lot near my dorm.  The plow truck followed me.  I was nervous as he already told me that he was watching other students and wasn't paying attention to the road.  I didn't want him behind me again in case something else catches his eyes.  I found my way to a parking spot and he parked the truck right behind the Cadillac.  He got out of the vehicle.  He told me he had to look again at my bumper and he was shocked that there wasn't any damage.  He even admitted that he hit me rather hard too.  I told him I could feel how hard he hit me. 

     The last accident I got into happened when I wasn't even in the vehicle.  It was late in the year of 2005.  I just dropped Christian, Elizabeth, and Ashton off to a private school they attended in Reed City.  James was 3 years old and I had Halvor who was about 3 or 4 months old.  Snow had fallen early that morning making things slick.  A plow truck was shaving off the layer of snow and pushing it off to the side. I pulled into the local grocery store and parked up front.  I was walking up to the doors when I had a feeling to turn around.  As I did I noticed a car traveling towards my car.  I looked at the wheels and I noticed they were not spinning.  The car kept moving.  All I could do was shake my head in disbelief as I watch her crash into the back side of our Plymouth Voyager.  She did a great deal of damage to it.  I head back to the van and place the boys back into their car seats.  We exchange driver information.  She was very apologetic.  I remember thinking that she shouldn't apologize when in an accident because it proves she was a fault, even if she is at fault.  I reassured her that I wasn't upset and I clearly seen that the weather played a factor to the incident.  Her insurance ended up paying for the repair to my van even the co-pay. 

     I haven't had an accident since then.

Camera Operator for "Ask The Pastor" on the Christian Station WTLJ

     Yesterday I had the honor of watching and being an extra to a short film (Chrysalis The Film) come to life in Reed City, Michigan.  It was fascinating to watch the people beind the scenes making sure the lighting was perfect and the camera's had the right angle.  Soon my thoughts were taken adrift back to 1995 where I was a cameraman for the Christian television station WTLJ out of Allendale, Michigan.

     It was an Autumn day in 1995.  I was in my first year of college at Grand Valley State University.  The  Renaissance Festival had finished up (September 18 blog: My Performance in the GVSU Renaissance Festival) and I was looking for something else to occupy my time, preferably a job.  I would go to the counseling center and look at the job postings.  Then one ad caught my eye.  It was a volunteer position to be a cameraman for WTLJ which was right around the corner from the GVSU campus.  That sounds interesting, I thought.  True, it didn't pay anything but I was certainly curious.  So I called on it and an interview was set up in a couple of days.

     The interview wasn't much of an interview.  It was more of "how to" as they told me I was going to film the live tv show "Ask the Pastor".  I was in shock.  Live?  What if I mess up?  I never did this type of thing before.  I was a projectionist at my Catholic Church growing up but that wasn't nothing compare to this.  My thoughts were in panic mode but I didn't let it show on the outside.  I smiled and nodded and kept myself reserved.

     "Ask the Pastor" was a live show set up kinda a like a game show.  There was the host and there was a panel of 4 pastors from different churches in the west Michigan area.  They had, which I would say, regulars and every now and there would be a different pastor that would show up.  I remember Pastor Trimm.  He was a large man with dark hair and fastly growing speckles of gray throughout his hair and beard.  He was also loud, abrupt and animated with his actions when he answered questions and fun to watch.  In almost every episode he would end up holding his Bible high up in the air shouting in a deep voice, "This is the truth; The whole truth; And nothing but the truth, And in God's Almighty name let us say Amen!" You couldn't help but say Amen after that even if I could only whisper it.

     Live calls would come in from people in the area and every now and then a letter would be read by the host.  The phone lines were constantly busy by people wanting to know more insight on God's word and how to interpret it.  I never heard of the show previously.  I never heard of the station before.  I knew who God was but I was still at an infant stage with my Christianity.  I am still working on my Christianity but I have come a long away.  Anyway, the host would make sure the pastor's stayed on track and everyone had a chance to speak in a timely manner.  Sometimes debates would break out between pastors on the interpretation of scripture and after a few moments the host would try to settle the manner and move on to the next caller.

     The producer showed me how to use the huge cameras.  She shows me how to pan left, pan right, zoom in and zoom out.  She said that was all I needed to know and it was really quite simple.  I was introduced to a late-middle aged lady who was the main camera operator and to another volunteer camera operator who was an elderly man.  Then she handed me a headset (earphones with a microphone) to put on and went into another room so we can do a trial run before the show.

     The camera's were huge.  I had to step up on a circular platform that was connected to the camera.  Huge handles stuck out from the side and the ends rotated to zoom in and zoom out.  I tilted it up so it would be level to the panel where the pastors sit and remember feeling the heavy weight of the camera.  If I let go the camera could slowly point downwards so I had to make sure I had a good grip on it.  Even panning left and right you could still feel the weight of it.  There was two viewing areas.  One was what the camera was viewing and the other is what was being seen on TV.  Looking at that one you can adjust the headspace and make sure they are centered correctly if need be.

     Over my ear piece a sound broke the silence, "Okay Jill.  Can you hear me?"   I replied yes back into the microphone attachment, "I want you to focus on the sign "Ask the Pastor" and zoom in closely and slowly on the P."   I would start to zoom in and direction would be given if I was going to fast or if I was going to slow.  After a few attempts I figured out the speed and pressure of zooming.  "Now I want you to zoom in to have just the sign showing then slowly pan down and zoom out to the panel of pastors."  I did just that.  All was going good. 

     The panel of pastors soon arrived and we were ready for the live show.  A stampede of wilderbeasts were running around my stomach, I was so nervous.  I had to be quiet as a mouse and listen to the prompts that they gave to me.  When I seen a red light inside my camera I was told that my camera was on and I had to be careful about moving my camera then.  She would have me focus on one pastor, switch to another camrea, then have me focus on another pastor and she would switch back to my camera.  I realized that the producer was a chatter box when the show was going on, even making funny jokes every now and then.  At times, we cameramen, looked at each other with huge smiles on our faces trying not to laugh or make any sounds. I really enjoyed working behind the scenes.  When we were done with the show the producer would say through our headsets, "That's a rap!" and we would take off our headsets, place them neatly on top of the machines and shut them down.  On a monitor off to the side we can see that a commercial was already started on the station.  Overall, it really wasn't too difficult.

     Soon they would have me come in and do specials and help film the Christmas "Thank You" commercials set to music.  This one time I had a really bad cough due to a cold I had.  I was dropping Hals Cough Drops in me like it was candy so I wouldn't cough while on the air.  They asked if I could stay after and film a special guest speaker they where interviewing for a different taped show.  I had no problem with it.  After "Ask the Pastor" I go the green room and drank a large glass of water and had a small coughing fit since I was suppressing it so much.  I was trying to get my coughs out of my system before the next filming.  I make my way back into the studio to help set up for the special.  There was a group of people off to the side talking and they called me over.  The producers introduced me to the guest speaker, we shook hands  and we exchanged small talk.  Then I went back over to my camera to get it ready for the special.

     There was a new host and the guest speaker sat next to him both sitting comfortable chairs with a small table between them with glasses of water.  The host started to do his opening monologue introducing his guest.  "....my guest here today is going to tell us what it is like living in todays society with AIDS..."  My brain froze!  AIDS!   I studied AIDS in school and I wasn't afraid of him and I knew I wasn't going to get AIDS by him being in the room.  But I had a flashback.  I am full of germs!  I have a cold!  I shook his hand!  My sick germs are on him.  I think I just killed him!  and other thoughts like this pounded my head as filmed the interview.  I wasn't worried about me.  I was worried about HIM.  Afterwards I approached him and told him I didn't know he had AIDS but that I was fighting a cold and I was concerned.  He smiled and thanked me for telling him but he said he knew when he came in and seen me in the green room coughing and drinking water.  He assured me that he currently has his AIDS under control not to worry.   Not to worry is easier said then done I suppose.

     I worked at WTLJ for a few months a couple days a week.  The new semester was just beginning and I had class time during the production of "Ask the Pastor" and I couldn't film it anymore.  I did a few more extra's during that last semester of my freshman year at GVSU when I could.  After that year I moved down to Allegan, Michigan and it was too far for a drive to keep it up.  I was so disappointed that I had to quit.  I really enjoyed the people there and working behind the scenes.

     Seeing the film crew working during the film The Chrysalis recalled all those wonderful memories of WTLJ.  For a brief moment I could still see myself driving down the stations long dirt drive and parking in the back, walking into the station doors with the sound box to my left and station room to my right, hearing their voices, feeling the rubber grips on the camera to move it about and remembering some of shows and scenes that I helped out on.  I look back on it with fond memories.

    

My Performance In GVSU's Renaissance Festival

     As a teen I fell in love with the theater.  I got my first taste of acting as a freshman in high school and embraced it.  I did a few plays in high school and performed in dinner theaters for the church I went to.  In my Senior year of high school I earned enough points to gain the rank of a lifetime thespian (an actor after the Greek actor and playwright Thespis), including a free one year subscription to some drama magazine.  There is something about stepping up on stage and putting a piece of yourself to make the character come to life.  I thought after high school my acting days were over even though I still had the love for the theater. 

My outfit for the ball scene

     Early in the summer of 1995, after I graduated, I got a call from the director of the Drama Department at Grand Valley State University.  She read my transcripts and was interested in having me be a part of the Shakespearean play Romeo and Juliet for the Renaissance festival.  I was more than thrilled to be part of a University production.  She told me practices were the following week and if I was interested in being a part of the play to show up.  I told her I would be happy to be there. 

     I walked along the buildings at Grand Valley State University realizing that in about 6 weeks I would be going from building to building hurrying myself along with a crowd of other people going from class to class.  The campus looked so big and I seemed so small.  I finally located the theater.  Older classmen were already there rehearsing part of their lines up on stage.  Incoming freshman were scattered along the front few rows of the seats watching the stage.  An older lady approached me and asked me who I was.  I gave her my name and she flips through a clipboard with several names on it.  She introduced herself as the head of the drama department.  For the life of me I cannot remember her name.  She told me the freshman are sitting up front and that as freshman we will be the extra's and a few will have small speaking parts.  I smiled and shook her hand as she passed me a copy of the play Romeo and Juliet and I made my way to sit among the other nervous looking incoming freshman.

     


I am the the second from the left.

Romeo with
the backstage director

     Over the summer the cast grew together as a family.  We would  share our frustrations, laugh about the guys wearing the cod piece, and tease a few of the ladies that had to dress like a harlot.  We would wrestle around the green room or stand just outside the doors talking and smoking.  When work was to be done, we did it but most of the time we just goofed off. 



     I did get a small speaking role as one of the watchmen.  It was only one or two lines which I forgot what they were but nonetheless I was happy as I can be about it.  I learned that play inside and out.  I read it once as a freshman in high school but I never let the story sink in.  Doing the play over and over it became a part of me and understanding the Elizabethan language.  We had a choreographer come in and teach us the dances in that time period for the ball scene.  I was one of the 8 couples up on stage dancing around and twilling.  It was a very graceful style of dance.  I stood in front of my partner.  Our right palms touched at face level as we spun around 3/4th of a circle.  Then we switched hand and were now palm to palm with our left hand and spun the other direction 3/4th of a circle.  I would lower my head in a curtsey and he would bow in my direction.  I loved it all. 

     There was a team of seamstresses that came in to fit us for our different costumes.  The gowns were beautiful.  There was a large room off the side of the theater that had sewing machines dotted over every table, pieces of cloth strung everywhere, a large closet filled with outfits and so much more.  These ladies did a great job at what they did.  At the time I never even touched a sewing machine and here these young ladies were designing these wonderful outfits.  I was impressed.

Prince of Verona

     One day we were told to wear our costumes and do some small skits at the over by the clock tower at GVSU.  I remember doing the dance scene outside feeling like I was in that time period.  People gathered around and watched us perform.  It was a fun experience walking around in costume playing the part.  The circle of people clapped for us as we bowed. 
     Soon it was show time.  We performed several shows throughout the week.  We even did one for local school children.  We had to edit some of the scenes, like the bedroom scene of Romeo and Juliet, for it to be child appropriate. I was in the opening scene as an extra.  I remember the curtain being raised, looking at my theater family with looks of excitement in their faces.  There was a moment of intense pause.  Then as if a magical moment happened we all came to life in character.  I was quietly chatting away with another extra, fawning over Benvolio and ooohing as Tybalt comes walking by.  Even now thinking about the lights shining down on us, the hush of the crowd and the words that were being said, I still get exciting chills about the whole thing.



One of the actors goofing off in the green room.
You can see the monitor and stage in the background.

     At one of the plays I forgot to go onstage during one of my scenes.  A few of us were goofing off in the green room.  There was a TV with sound in there so we can tell what scene the play is at.  We were not paying attention.  One of the directors pops her head into the green room to tell us to get ready for the next scene.  I looked over at her like a deer in headlights, then over to the monitor and realized I was supposed to be up on the balcony of the stage saying my one line!  I was so upset with myself.  The other two "watchmen" covered up for me but I felt horrible. 

Some of the actors

More extras in the play

Montague and an extra

Lounging out before a show.  I am sitting in the
middle and J.J. is laying across us.

A few of the actresses in the make-up room getting ready.



.

Some actresses before the show having fun.

    

A few of the actors showing off their tights.



Before a performance.  I am on the right.
 

Relaxing in the Green Room.



Juliet's Nurse ~ one of the paid actors for the play.



J.J. with one of the actors.

The Friar with an actor waiting to go on stage in the Green Room.



Another actress back in the Green Room waiting to go on stage.





JJ in the lower left.
We were signing advertising
posters during one performance.

     After the plays came the cast parties.  They realized I had never been drunk before.  It was their goal to see me wasted.  After the first show we went to someone's house and I was liquored up.  Yes, I was three sheets to the wind.  JJ, one of the extras, read out a 500 question purity test for everyone to take.  She was quite proud she had the lowest score.  There were some things that I didn't want to know about people that I learned that night.  The next morning we had an early practice for the next show later on that night.  Most of the cast and crew crawled in with hangovers.  I came skipping along.  They gave me looks of disgust.  "Don't you have a hangover?" they asked.

     "Nope!  I feel great!  On with the show!"  I would happily prance along. 

     In 1996, Hollywood remade the movie Romeo and Juliet staring Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes.  Right away I fell in love with the movie.  We own the movie and my children love watching it as well.  I like how Hollywood adapted it to modern times.  When I hear the words it takes me back to when I was 18 again, up on stage, seeing everyone from the cast saying the same lines and going through the motions. 

     That was the last time I was on stage.  I would love to get back into the theater but not at this time in my life.  Someday....someday.