Chapter 14 Stage Fright and other happenings
With Stan gone Theresa was starting to do more at work. Every year there was a New Year's Eve concert at the local convention center and the question around the station was who would emcee the event. Theresa thought she was going to work with the church sponsoring the event, but some of the people at the radio station acted like she didn't know what she was doing There were other problems as well, one of the guys thought that she didn't have the talent to do the morning show. He tried to undermine her to the owner's wife and anyone else who would listen. This was a stressful time for Theresa who prayed for the spirit of discernment.
One Sunday morning when Theresa was working some of the ladies that had prayed with her before came up and prayed about the situation. It wasn't too long that one of the guys ended up leaving. Theresa was still trying to find her way with more boldness. She felt the need to pray for people, she took the prayer requests and she and her friends would pray over them.
Getting ready for the New Year's Eve sing was a big event to Theresa. It was confirmed that she would do the emcee work and the others from the church would be on hand to help her. She had worked with them over the tears and was comfortable with them. Her friends prayed and her mom told her to always be herself. When she went on stage she kept pressing on like she was in church, she gave announcements and introduced the groups and cut up a little with the church sponsoring the event. It was a successful night. While the groups were singing she got interviews. Things were very good that night. Her parents had come to see her and they were proud.
The next year brought its share of events and trials. Theresa began to go to some of the concerts at local churches, getting pictures and interviews with some of the singers. It was exciting. Ted started to go to the different places with her to help out. Then he got a bright idea, when the other station went to the mall for the spring mall show to set up a table and to broadcast some from the location. They would go to the Christian bookstores and get some of the promotional materials from the different artists. It was fun to do. The most interesting item they obtained was a life-sized cut out of Amy Grant. It really set them apart at the mall that year. They also started doing station promos together. Ted was married with a young family and was eager to make his way in the world. He was talented and wanted to advance in his career. Ted spent extra time doing things that helped Theresa and the radio station. He built a big over-sized boom box that drew attention to the table at live events, and did other things. It was a fun time.
Christian skate night was taking off, and at the station they hired a former youth pastor to do radio sales. Somehow he convinced the powers that be to do a contemporary Christian music show. This show somehow became a battleground, because it was assumed that Theresa didn't have the background to do the show. Which she didn't have time for anyway, but they wanted it on the night that Theresa already had a black gospel program. They moved the program to Saturday night. Theresa wasn't really wanting to grow a new audience by then and figured that her audience and the southern gospel audience wouldn't like the show. The youth pastor had pitted the staff against each other and choose his friends and the show went forward. Anything Theresa suggested was either ignored or just made fun of. So she tried to stay out of the picture. Ted just kept producing his part in the show "Lift Off". He began to get engagements at local church and youth events. Some of the other people began to get jealous and cause trouble.
Theresa was going through something during this time. He former boyfriend was badly injured in an auto accident. The van ran into a tree and he ended up with a broken neck. She went to see him in the hospital. It was a scary sight seeing him laying there hooked to all of the machines with screws sticking out of his head. He couldn't move or anything. The word was that he had asked for her. Word got to her grandmother and her grandmother told her mother who took her to see him. She stayed for a moment and then left Theresa there with him. Theresa would read the Bible to him. Then he was transferred to a rehabilitation center in Virginia. The next thing she heard was that he was getting married. This was an extremely painful thing for Theresa. She didn't really say anything. Also during this time her younger sister was getting married. Theresa was afraid that she would be alone forever.
Theresa began to be friends with an older lady who had married late in life. She just needed someone to talk to or someone who would understand. The friendship was something that sometimes caused a rift between Theresa and her mother. She didn't understand why. Theresa played it down. Times were tough emotionally for Theresa so she decided to go back to school. That gave her something else to think about other, than her old boyfriend and his life, the stuff at the station and her sister's marriage. School was exciting, she began to thrive, because the classes that she had were challenging and hard. One of her professors had worked for some nationally known people. The first day she listened to him she hated him, but later she was challenged by him and he changed her life.
One Sunday morning when Theresa was working some of the ladies that had prayed with her before came up and prayed about the situation. It wasn't too long that one of the guys ended up leaving. Theresa was still trying to find her way with more boldness. She felt the need to pray for people, she took the prayer requests and she and her friends would pray over them.
Getting ready for the New Year's Eve sing was a big event to Theresa. It was confirmed that she would do the emcee work and the others from the church would be on hand to help her. She had worked with them over the tears and was comfortable with them. Her friends prayed and her mom told her to always be herself. When she went on stage she kept pressing on like she was in church, she gave announcements and introduced the groups and cut up a little with the church sponsoring the event. It was a successful night. While the groups were singing she got interviews. Things were very good that night. Her parents had come to see her and they were proud.
The next year brought its share of events and trials. Theresa began to go to some of the concerts at local churches, getting pictures and interviews with some of the singers. It was exciting. Ted started to go to the different places with her to help out. Then he got a bright idea, when the other station went to the mall for the spring mall show to set up a table and to broadcast some from the location. They would go to the Christian bookstores and get some of the promotional materials from the different artists. It was fun to do. The most interesting item they obtained was a life-sized cut out of Amy Grant. It really set them apart at the mall that year. They also started doing station promos together. Ted was married with a young family and was eager to make his way in the world. He was talented and wanted to advance in his career. Ted spent extra time doing things that helped Theresa and the radio station. He built a big over-sized boom box that drew attention to the table at live events, and did other things. It was a fun time.
Christian skate night was taking off, and at the station they hired a former youth pastor to do radio sales. Somehow he convinced the powers that be to do a contemporary Christian music show. This show somehow became a battleground, because it was assumed that Theresa didn't have the background to do the show. Which she didn't have time for anyway, but they wanted it on the night that Theresa already had a black gospel program. They moved the program to Saturday night. Theresa wasn't really wanting to grow a new audience by then and figured that her audience and the southern gospel audience wouldn't like the show. The youth pastor had pitted the staff against each other and choose his friends and the show went forward. Anything Theresa suggested was either ignored or just made fun of. So she tried to stay out of the picture. Ted just kept producing his part in the show "Lift Off". He began to get engagements at local church and youth events. Some of the other people began to get jealous and cause trouble.
Theresa was going through something during this time. He former boyfriend was badly injured in an auto accident. The van ran into a tree and he ended up with a broken neck. She went to see him in the hospital. It was a scary sight seeing him laying there hooked to all of the machines with screws sticking out of his head. He couldn't move or anything. The word was that he had asked for her. Word got to her grandmother and her grandmother told her mother who took her to see him. She stayed for a moment and then left Theresa there with him. Theresa would read the Bible to him. Then he was transferred to a rehabilitation center in Virginia. The next thing she heard was that he was getting married. This was an extremely painful thing for Theresa. She didn't really say anything. Also during this time her younger sister was getting married. Theresa was afraid that she would be alone forever.
Theresa began to be friends with an older lady who had married late in life. She just needed someone to talk to or someone who would understand. The friendship was something that sometimes caused a rift between Theresa and her mother. She didn't understand why. Theresa played it down. Times were tough emotionally for Theresa so she decided to go back to school. That gave her something else to think about other, than her old boyfriend and his life, the stuff at the station and her sister's marriage. School was exciting, she began to thrive, because the classes that she had were challenging and hard. One of her professors had worked for some nationally known people. The first day she listened to him she hated him, but later she was challenged by him and he changed her life.
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