Today's MOZEN: Perspective

Words and Photo by F LoBuono

When I began I my career in the TV business, I did a lot of on-camera work. In the industry parlance you are know as "the talent" - weather you have it or not. I was a college and semi-professional football player and, in a very round about way, parlayed that into my first job as a sportscaster. And, I actually got quite good. I progressed to the point where I was producing and announcing major college football games for the Madison Square Garden Network (MSG). In addition to my sportscasting, I was also producing and hosting a number of other programs. These included "live" sports shows as well as those of human and political interest. All in all, I was "on the air" quite a bit.

This led to a sort of minor celebrity. I certainly was not being invited to attend any Red Carpet Premieres, but I was being recognized on the street on a fairly regular basis. This, many would say, has contributed to my enormous ego. Well, I would agree AND disagree. I agree that it is gratifying to be be recognized, literally, for ones work. Part of the reason you do it is to BE recognized. So, that's an affirmation. However, I would disagree that my ego is enormous. It is not. Rather, it is healthy. I am never falsely modest. I know who and what I am. I do some things well. In fact, I do a lot of things, some of them very well. But, I also suck at some things - just awful. And, I own that. I am very flawed. I also know that, in the case of my broadcasting, I was a Big Fish in a Small Pond.

Every once in awhile, that notion gets reinforced. Even though I was recognizable, I never received a lot of so-called fan mail. In fact, there were so few that I remember just about all of them. However, one in particular always comes to my mind first. It was simple, hand-written and with no return address:

Who ever told a fat slob with bad teeth you could be on television?

There was no return address, so I could not respond directly. If I could have I would have by saying:

I'm not fat! And, Thanks!!

And, I mean the THANKS - thanks for providing the right perspective.