shake it for me

I love a challenge, primarily the ones that are out of my comfort zone and more than likely will end unfavorably. I like the hunt - the 'holy cow, I did it' feeling. This week I had goals for three national spotlight interviews; two are successes, one still looms. My last test is to connect with Luke Bryan. Yeah, I know.

The first order of business - get him in my head. Know my prey. For that, I turned to Spotify and subscribed to a bevy of Bryan hits. My personal favorites thus far have been Country Girl and Rain is a Good Thing. I like to think the "Hey girl" at the beginning - well, that's me he's talking to. However, Drinkin' Beer and Wastin' Bullets is a little far fetched, but as a writer, I am willing to sacrifice for the sake of the story. I am nothing if not a professional.

So as I'm sitting her shakin' to his tunes, I feel I have a good start. That inward country music girl that has been squashed by living with a New Jersey boy is starting to wake up. I connect with Bryan's Georgia roots, so how hard can my act of persuasion be. Plus, we share an intense love of Georgia football, so the rivers run deep.

After endless phone calls to the William Morris Agency in LA for two weeks I became buds with the switchboard operator and agent secretary, being greeted with "Hi Judy. Luke Bryan, right?" I firmly believe it was the voice, the distinctive Southern drawl. Then, reality seeped in reminding me of Caller ID. Next stop, his PR firm in Nashville. I had made it to second base, but I wanted at least a triple, preferably a home run!

Calling is the easy part. Calling to the point of stalking is easy-peasy. Waiting is equivalent to a root canal. You know it's part of the process, but why really? Isn't' there a quick fix to a logical question? I know there's a process to everything, a paper trail, a sequence of events. Be patient!

As I wait for the call, the email, the YES to my query, I will listen longingly as Bryan and I cosmically connect. I listen . . .

I listen . . .

. . . and then I hear my INBOX scream, signaling its newly dropped contents.You guessed it. His manager, my nemesis, had other plans for him pre-show. Not this go around. But as a writer, part of the thrill comes via the chase. Tracking down the elusive numbers, talking to the right person, having a name instead of an idea. I have come within six-degrees of Bryan and I will take that as a success. I'm that much closer to the story. With each challenge, I gain something. Not always the something I'm counting on, but something is more than nothing.

Good things happened this week. I reconnected with the country girl inside. Listened to some excellent country music with the volume turned all the way UP. And although I won't get to see Bryan shake it for me in person and I can't scream holy cow this time around, I did good.