That being said, I'm not above playing the role of journalist on occasion when the opportunity to insert myself in the middle of "news" presents itself. I can't remember exactly how, but I got word on Tuesday that the newly-appointed DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson was going to be in southern AZ on the 22nd (yesterday) and giving a press conference at the Border Patrol sector headquarters here in Tucson--about a 25-minute drive from my house. I said, Hey, I need to get in on this! I called HQ DHS to get more information on the visit from their public affairs people, then contacted my friend/public affairs officer at Sector HQ to get all the details. With some quick work by my editor at HSToday, I got my press pass and digital recorder in order on Wednesday.
Then Murphy's Law struck. The antibiotic I had been taking for a sinus infection was NOT being nice to my stomach, so I was in bed most of Wednesday morning and wondering if I'd be able to make the press conference. NOOOOO!!!, I was thinking. I was so excited about the opportunity and I might miss it! I had even planned to speak to my good friend Farrah Fazal, a reporter for KSDK in St Louis with whom I had worked extensively while she was a reporter in south Texas at KRGV. She was going to tell me what to expect and what I should wear, and now I had to make a last-minute call on whether or not to leave the house.
Fortunately, around noon I started to feel better, even though I had only gotten about three hours of sleep the night before and my MS (and thus my body) was NOT happy about that. My awesome husband, who normally would have advised me to stay in bed and rest, really encouraged me to go. He said it was a great opportunity, and he was proud of me for pushing through the fatigue and nausea to make it happen. I just prayed I wouldn't pass out while unloading my heavy electric scooter parts (from not eating much for three days) or dry heave in the middle of Secretary Johnson's speech; talk about making an impression.When I got there, I was able to get situated quickly, and felt pretty good. I had the wonderful surprise of finally meeting in person two "real" journalists with whom I had been communicating on border issues for quite some time! I got a great spot for the actual press conference, and I got good pictures and audio of the 12-minute speech and Q&A session. I didn't get picked to ask a question, and for that I was disappointed, but I know it happens. Then I got another surprise on my way out.
One of my journalist friends was passing in front of my car, so I honked my horn to get his attention to say goodbye. In the process, I also got the attention of several other reporters who noticed the big magnets on my car doors advertising my forthcoming book, Border Insecurity. This REALLY piqued their interest, so we started exchanging business cards, and JD Wallace from KOLD Channel 13 News asked for an interview on the spot! So I got out of the car, got my walker out of the trunk to use for some stability, and we chatted on camera for a few minutes. The piece aired at 10pm last night, and while it got cut short due to a fatal pedestrian accident the crew got called off to, it was GREAT to finally get noticed by the local media! I'm planning on inviting several local reporters to the book's release party in April, so it'll be more motivating for them to attend if they can put a face with the name.Because I'm not a reporter and don't get media advisories for meetings and conferences like this, it can be a challenge to get sufficient notice so I can make arrangements to go to these things. However, as yesterday proved, it's well worth the trouble, and on top of everything else, the whole thing was scooter- and walker-friendly :).
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