Front Porch Expressions

 

 

 

Addressing the Iowa Broadcast News Association convention as outgoing board president in Waterloo, Iowa, in May 2008.

One of my favorite "hats" has been that of firefighter.

I wear many hats. Always have. Life’s too short to limit oneself, you know. Of course, the “hats” I love best are husband, father and grandfather. I also hope a lot of people I know consider me a good friend.

Until April 2009 I was also a full-time radio news reporter and anchor at one of the nation’s oldest stations. I’m semi-retired now. I remain a part-time newspaper reporter and columnist at a couple of weekly papers that I’ve read and loved for years; an auto racing announcer (2011 marked my 36th consecutive season) and publicist; a freelance writer of magazine and newspaper articles and a home-based radio news producer for Radio Iowa, a network, and KWPC/KMCS in Muscatine, Iowa.

There’s more. I have researched and written for hire a book about a business. I learned a lot from that. And I have a home-based business that handles publicity, writing and editing for a select — that means very small but great — group of clients. I also available to do commercial “voice-overs.” See my other Web site, philrobertsonair.com, for details on that.

Stick with me; I’m almost finished. Some of my favorite things — none of which I get to spend enough time doing, it seems — are reading, writing, traveling, puttering in my workshop, checking Facebook, researching my ancestry and watching live theater (preferably a comedy). I also enjoy some TV — the news, some dramas, some sitcoms, old shows like those on on TV Land, NFL football and some racing, particularly short track races.

I am very proud of my wife, Sherry (she’s more than I deserve), who is shown above with me in the caricature. I also am proud of our grown  children: Andrea, Brendan, Clinton (his wife is Lisa) and Dane (his wife is Casey) and their families, including seven delightful grandchildren and one on the way. I treasure all my other family members — including my brother and sister-in-law — as well, plus our many dear friends, who live both near and far. The older I get, the more my family and friends mean to me.

I’m proud of my service and former presidencies with the boards of the Mississippi Valley Fair and Iowa Broadcast News Association and of being an honorary member of Speedway Fire-Rescue, a volunteer service. I used to be an associate member of Durant Ambulance, a volunteer service, and I’ve been with the Walcott Fire Department, also voluntary, since 1976.

I was an active WFD member (I served a term as assistant chief and was and still am the public information officer) for 27 years. I was an EMT for 14 of those, until I ran out of time for taking all of the courses needed for recertification. I have been on the WFD Auxiliary since my 2003 “retirement” from active service.

I will always miss getting into my turnout gear, jumping onto a fire truck and racing into the night to help others. But I admit, with retirement I quickly adapted to not doing those things, especially for the calls at 3 in the morning.

That’s about it. Oh, one more thing: I decided a long time ago that I’m not going to be president — or even governor. And I’m OK with that. I just hope I’ve made a difference for someone somewhere, perhaps in my volunteer work or my news reporting.

There have been good times and bad times in my life but, in general, I’ve had a great Walter Mitty-type existence. I’ve seen and done a lot of things. If I die tomorrow, I hope you miss me, but don’t feel feel sorry for me. Just figure that I’ve gone on to yet another adventure!