The Interview

Background:

We have had a few cases of Dengue Fever here. This is a well-known tropical disease, carried from infected person to infected person by mosquitoes. Because mosquitoes do not fly far, the belief is that an infected person came to the state, was bitten and that mosquito then bit someone else, thus passing the disease on. It is not transmitted person to person.

So in our community they held the first of the county-wide meetings to inform the public. The Mayor was there, The State Health representative, County health Representatives, Civil Defense, some State Legislators, people familiar with spraying insecticides, etc. Also there was a cameraman and reporter from over on Oahu, KHON TV 2 news.

I got there early because I had been in town and this was on my way home. Parking would be horrible later, so I was there as the camera people set up for the news and the local cable outlet.

I thought to myself, I am in a good spot if they pan the audience and brought out my cellphone to play. It was at that moment that the reporter came over and said to me, “I wonder if you would mind giving me a short interview after the meeting?” I found out later that I was sitting next to the Maui County health Officer and perhaps she mistook me for someone important? No, turns out she wanted to ask on camera, why I was attending the meeting and what information I hoped to leave with.

I agreed and it was a piece of cake, having done TV and radio before. It was nice to be in the limelight for just perhaps 30 seconds again.