Oprah!!

Dear Family and Friends,

Recently, I had a chance to be an audience member on The Oprah Winfrey Show. Most people would consider shaking hands with Nelson Mandela, listening in a lecture of Stephen Hawking or singing a duet with Barbara Streisand a milestone. I consider this one of mine. I sat in my seat with the same fervor and enthusiasm a 12-year girl reserves for a Taylor Swift concert.  Before I continue, I must thank Mahin, and the special group of ladies who made this trip so memorable.

The show is taped in Harpo Studios in Chicago, Illinois. We were asked to show up at the studio in the morning. As we waited in line we found ourselves surrounded by overzealous and notably well-dressed fans who traveled from all over the country to be part of Oprah’s last season.  About 45 minutes were spent adulating Oprah on how she had made a difference in so many lives. Meanwhile, I was keeping count of how many men I could spot. I knew it would be a task equivalent of finding a right-wing fan at a Lady Gaga concert. I counted two men in line. There were a total of 15 during the taping.

We were escorted through security into a waiting room where we spent nearly three hours building up the anticipation. “Will there be a celebrity on the show?” “Will there be any furniture abuse (Tom Cruise reference)?”, “Any make-overs?” The questions were endless. The audience members were so excited that we were told to use our “library voices.” (You can get teaching ideas anywhere!)

I won’t speak about the content of the show to keep this light-hearted.

After watching Oprah tape her show, I can truly understand why she is so successful. Her command of language, her ability to make her guests comfortable, and her charming personality made the entire show taping seem effortless. The BEST part was when she looked directly at me, waved, mouthed “Hi” and winked. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I am not embarrassed to admit I felt I was on cloud nine!

One regret I have is that due to the serious nature of the show, I did not get to jump up from my seat and scream like I usually see women do on her show. Mahin and I even practiced! And I was secretly hoping we all would get new cars! Oh well….

Much Love,

Sana