As someone who routinely lets the unread messages in my inbox creep into thousands-territory, I get it. Reading ALL THAT CRAP is typically a chore with zero reward other than the bragging rights that you have zero unread. However, there are occasions when trudging through and giving a thorough glance can actually be worthwhile. While Nigerian princes in need of assistance to secure riches beyond imagine is now a joke of e-mail lore, not every too-good-too-be-true invitation is - in fact - not legitimate. Case in point...
A couple of months ago, an invitation to be part of the first-ever International Radio Festival arrived. "International Radio Festival? Never heard of it." would have been the easy answer. But the more I dug, the more this thing appeared to be the real deal. The offer came complete with a Swiss Air flight and accommodations in Zurich, in exchange for broadcasting live from the action and delivering a keynote address. No pressure, right?!
After requesting the days off, I started asking around to see if anyone else I knew was going to be attending the inaugural IRF event. The answers from my Wild 94.9 coworkers were pretty consistent: "I think I saw an e-mail about it, but figured it was bonus." Apparently, everyone except me hit delete and moved on. Thanks to giving some attention to that e-mail, however, I boarded a nonstop flight from SFO to ZRH on September 6.
While I optimistically joked about not being kidnapped and held for ransom immediately upon arrival, a writeup in the in-flight magazine I spotted gave me more and more confidence that this thing was legit. "Radios wie Wild 94.9 aus San Francisco mit ihren DJs einfliegt." Really... Does it get more real than that?
I was picked up at the Zurich airport by one of the festival organizers and whisked via minivan to the hotel I'd call home for the next few nights. Many of my fellow International Radio Festival attendees were perplexed that I'd come all that way for just a few days, which gave me the opportunity to remind them that we Americans aren't afforded the luxury of 6 weeks of vacation each year!
Parallel to the reality of this festival being the real-deal setting in, the harsh reality of jet lag hit me like a ton of bricks. I don't have much recollection of the keynote speech delivered, or the on-air shift performed in front of a live audience... but I can proudly say I broadcasted live on the European continent via the FM signal set up for live International Radio Festival action!
Am I the world's best radio DJ? Absolutely not. Was I Wild 94.9's pick-of-the-litter to represent the station on an international level? No way. But... I did read my e-mail! The simple act of saying "HELL YES!" to an invitation provided me with an experience that A) I didn't have to pay a dime for and B) I'll never forget. And C) the "WILD (San Francisco)" signature cocktail on the festival's bar menu brought me immense joy.
Moral of the story... What's sitting in your inbox is probably crap, BUT there's also a chance it could be the start of an adventure you'll always remember. Now let me find some Skyy Vodka, Cranberrysalt and Grapefruitsalt to make a cocktail worth toasting an empty inbox to!
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