This diminutive little figurine, a Statue of Liberty, stands just shorter than the diameter of a dime (1.8cm). In this photo it stands in front of a postcard of the Manhattan Bridge in New York City. Both were given to me in 2001 by Jody Kerzman, my friend and coworker at the time, after her trip to the wreckage of the World Trade Center towers on assignment from KFYR-TV.

I have a box of souvenirs, tapes, and other stuff from my job at the TV station, including the newspaper clipping of the Help Wanted ad I answered when I applied for the job. Of all the items in that box, this little statue ranks among the most meaningful. I’d been meaning to take a picture of it for a while, but since it’s Jody’s birthday today I thought it was a good time to bump the photos I was going to post for a few days.

Jody had a link on Facebook to her KFYR-TV Blog entry today, and the story she related reminded me of what a genuine person she is. That is probably obvious even in her on-air demeanor, but I can’t tell; I’ve never seen Jody on TV without already knowing her. I’m not writing this to flatter or embarrass; however, in a business where newsrooms should have revolving doors installed for the people who come and go, certain people stand out. In my 21 years of working in the media business I have met and/or worked with a handful of TV and radio personalities who I think deserve mention. I’ve written about some of them, and this is a perfect opportunity to share this story.

Happy Birthday, Jody! I know it was a bittersweet day, according to what you’ve written. I agree with your take on what’s important, and I’m learning more every day now that I’m a Daddy. As far as reaching out to an old friend, this is how I thought I’d give it a try.