Why I Saved My ‘Joan Rivers Show’ Ticket

I really don't know when I started hanging onto to certain things, but I kind of like taking  them out once in a blue moon to reminisce about places I've been and the people I got to spend time with...some still here, some passed on. I am a sentimental sort. I have tickets to concerts, movies, fairs, carnivals, conferences, and a multitude of other places that I've visited. So when the news broke that Joan Rivers passed on I knew exactly where to find the show ticket that I kept--It was in my old radio backpack from NESB.

Back in 1989-1990, I had the pleasure of attending a great school: New England School of Broadcasting. I was a young 30 years of age and changing careers with the fire of a 20 year-old ready to make my mark in the broadcasting world. The school had a springtime tradition of traveling to New York City for educational purposes aboard a motor coach bus. We visited NBC, CBS, The Museum of Radio and Television, and generally took in the sights of the city that never sleeps. Some of us also had fun taking in free studio audience shows like the Joan Rivers Show at CBS.  It was memorable. I don't recall much about the guest, only that Joan was in the zone. She was funny, adorable, crass, and nuttier than a fruitcake. You either loved her or hated her--but the those that loved her far outweighed the latter. In our crazy show business, you either have the 'It' factor or you don't--Rivers had it in spades.

The news of her passing was sad, but she leaves a legacy and a long list of incredible accomplishments in broadcasting history.

I think I'll hang onto the ticket for a while longer.