My Companions During the Day

Back in the days when I worked in offices and the yammer of voices was a constant, I longed for the luxury of silence. I often listened to music through headphones but that wasn’t the same thing. I like quiet most of the time but I also find, now that I work at home, that certain jobs, particularly things like retouching photos, are better done with voices. I often listen to audio books but I’ve also fallen under the spell of talk radio.

There is no shortage of talk radio stations. I flip around the PBS channels when there are programs on that I like. But lately I seem to be listening to Boston’s 96.9 a lot. It’s an interesting study in personalities.

I rarely hear Don Imus, the morning guy. He’s a little too goofy for me and my early morning work time usually involves answering emails and writing this blog so I don’t need companionship. But by 10 when Mike Barnicle comes on, I’m ready.

I like Barnicle — he’s a smart guy with strong opinions. A lot of his program is devoted to sports talk and that loses me but I still enjoy it. I have a silly appreciation of guys talking sports — there is something so cute about it. So worshipful in a way — you get a glimpse of the internal Little Leaguer that they once were. But Barnicle isn’t afraid to speak out strongly on political issues and, this is what endears him to me, he likes to talk about books. How can you not appreciate a radio personality who likes to talk about books?

After Barnicle we get Jim Braude and the ever-annoying Margery Eagen. I wish the station would pitch in a few bucks and get that woman elocution lessons. How someone so unfamiliar with enunciation ever got a radio show is beyond me but Braude makes up for her. He’s a very smart guy — liberal and outspoken with the lovely ability to mock his own idiosyncrasies and quirks. That is the single biggest trait that, for me, separates those worth listening to from those not worth listening to. I don’t care what your opinions are, if you can stick your tongue in your cheek while dealing with people who want to rip your opinions apart, you’ve got me. It takes a lot of self-assurance to be that self-deprecating.

Which is a thing Bill O’Reilly could learn. I find O’Reilly interesting. I admire a lot of the positions he takes and I think he makes an effort to be fair though I doubt he realizes how ingrained some of his prejudices are. The word “nuanced” always comes to mind when he talks about being fair and balanced. His fair and balanced is nuanced though he doesn’t realize it. And he has a big chip on his shoulder but I appreciate his relentless defense campaigns for the protection of children and young women. I wish he could relax though.

By three o’clock when Michael Graham comes on, I’ve had enough. Especially if I listen to Graham for 10 minutes. The guy’s a nitwit. Fortunately for him, he finds himself endlessly entertaining and has a perfectly wonderful time laughing at his own jokes so he’ll be fine without me. But someone ought to tell him that if you move to a new city and a new state in order to get a job it might not be a good idea to turn that job into an endless bashing of the city and state that gave it to him. I miss Jay Severin. He comes on at 7 now but by then I’m done working and on to other things. Severin’s a good guy except I know more about his sex life than I do about my own which makes me wonder .... well, you know.

So that’s my daily roster of buddies. Most days, it’s fun. And right now I have to wrap this up. It’s time for Barnicle.

Thanks for reading.