My 130-mile daily commute is enlivened by toggling between the CD-player and the radio.
Now my ‘station of choice’ is (and please don’t change channel now) Radio 2. Yes, they play ‘old stuff’ which, of course, I know and generally love/like but they also air new releases, so I get to hear stuff which I might like in the future. I’m hip, eh?
A regular feature on the “Drive Time” show on the way home is a competition called “The Mystery Voice”, where they play a celeb’s soundbite and for a cash prize, you have to guess who it is. The other day, a guest DJ (now where did they get
that idea from?) was filling in for the regular jock and announced the next contestant with “We have on the line Bessie, who thinks she knows the answer”. Hello, Bessie”
A clearly very young girl’s voice said “Hello, Noel” (for it was he).
Momentarily taken aback, Mr.E. said something like “I’m sorry, I was just expecting someone older”. Only the fact that I was doing 69 m.p.h. stopped me from taking a baseball bat to the fascia.
Having established that she was 10, he asked what she wanted to do when she left school.
“Marine biologist” came the confident response.
“Oh” said Mr.E., “and what makes you want to do that?”
“Because I love dolphins” came the cutesy reply. I mentally dared him to link that to puppies or kittens. He didn’t. 1% redeemed.
“So, for £80, whose voice is that?”
“Whitney Houston” said Bessie, without hesitation.
Brief, nonplussed silence. Remember – this is an experienced broadcaster.
“What will you spend the prize money on?” was the eventual, fazed response.
“Designer clothes, thank you”.
In that small interchange with a supposed adult, Bessie had blown every common concept about children’s drive and ambition and intelligence into the deep blue – hopefully to join her dolphins – and I loved her for it.
# posted by Mr.D. @ 3:32 PM
Drinking and Driving (but clearly not simultaneously)
