Suggestions From A Caller

Everyone has an opinion. Whether that opinion is shared in a kind way or not doesn't always matter. It's one of those "perks" of the job that I didn't sign up for, but for some reason comes nonetheless. Many of you were appalled and commented on the "Viewer Emails" blog entry from last Friday (you remember the one, don't you?). Over the weekend, while I wasn't at work, I received 2 voice mails on my office phone. Both voice mails were from the same woman. Without transcribing the entire messages for you, I thought I'd share some bits and pieces.

Received 4:10pm, Saturday, August 9
The female caller says that she has been keeping up with my blog and read my blog entry from August 8. She said "this has gotten out of hand" and told me "you are obsessed with the fact that you are out of shape. Your nipples WERE showing. You wear things like bed jackets and your nipples were sticking out as well as your big belly button. I know a nipple whenever I see one." The caller told me "I think you would be really attractive if you'd wear more suits and went somewhere else to get your hair done. You're making a really big deal out of this. More than most people care about it. You need to stick with doing the weather report. You'd probably do better."

Received 9:40pm, Sunday, August 10
She called back again and this time she said she "isn't an email or blog person" and said she kept up with my brother and sister's heart problems last year and wanted to know why I didn't talk more about them. She said she would much rather I stop "preaching". She said, "I don't go to the internet to read the Bible. Maybe you should stop copying scripture. We all have Bibles. If I want to read a Bible, I'll read it. Maybe you're thinking of being an evangelist." Once again she said, "I think you're just obsessed with your looks. Perhaps you need to do your hair back like it used to look years ago. It just doesn't look good on you. You need to dress more professionally. You do a great job with the weather report. But you are obsessed with being out of shape. You're just another woman who had kids and got out of shape."

I always respond to my emails, letter and phone calls, if they leave me a return address or phone number. I think its only appropriate to respond to viewers should they take the time to contact me. However, this lady didn't leave her name, nor number on either message. Some of you may have some of the same suggestions or questions, so I thought I would respond to her concerns.

1) I wouldn't say that I'm obsessed with my looks. I would much rather come to work and do my job and would hope people don't concentrate on my appearance. Unfortunately, it hasn't worked that way. Some viewers have become obsessed with my looks. That is obvious by the number of emails, letters and phone calls addressing my outer appearance.

2) We went back to look at the broadcast in which I was supposedly exposing myself and I wasn't. However, I put on the same blouse for a friend of mine and this is what she noticed: the seams/darts on the front of the blouse fall right on my bust line. It seems that I have lost so much weight in my chest area after having the baby that the seams were in the wrong place and out of line, causing the material to pucker. This is what Ms. Moss was seeing, the puckering. She wasn't seeing nipples. And as far as my "big belly button sticking out", I don't have an "outty" and never have. My mother and husband can attest to that.

3) Most people think because I'm on tv, I must have a limitless amount of money to spend on clothes or that I get free clothes. The truth is, I am not given any money to purchase clothes and I don't get free clothes. I shop for bargains and sales. If someone wants to hand me a blank check, I'll be more than happy to go buy all of the professional suits that I can fit into my car! Some may think I have a hairstylist and makeup artist on site to make me camera ready before the lights go on. Not so. I am the hairstylist and makeup artist and I have 10 minutes or less to do it in every day. So if my hair looks bad or if there is some mascara on my cheek, there is no one to blame but me.

4) I have given updates on my brother and sister on several occasions. So many of you were their prayer warriors and they felt every one of them lifted up on their behalf. In case you missed it, they are both doing so well. My brother Doug has had an active summer working in the field, driving the tractor and combine, and attending his son's baseball games. He just returned from the beach where he took his family for a short vacation and celebrated the one year mark of his heart attack. My sister Rhonda hasn't had any heart palpitations since being put on beta blockers. She and her husband continue to parent their 2 college aged sons and pre-teen daughter.

5) In the beginning, I chose to make my blog public. Some blogs are private and readers must subscribe or have passwords in order to read them, but I wanted to let mine be public. Although it may seem that I'm preaching, I'm not. This blog was meant to be therapy for me....a way I could write down what the Lord is trying to teach me, read it over and over again, and meditate on how I need to change. If the blog speaks to you, that isn't my doing--that's the Holy Spirit. I won't take credit for that. As you might have noticed, when there is something significant weatherwise to talk about, I'll share my meteorological thoughts, too. That's why I call it "Barbie's Forecasts & Faith".

Over the years, I've been more cause oriented instead of career oriented. However, if I can minister to others through my career, then I feel like I'm doing the right thing.