By: Jay Trachman

Indulge me this fond reminiscence from a couple of decades ago, because it makes a point I believe is worth repeating – and hasn’t been, lately.

The Grammies weren’t the only awards handed out last week. I got one, too.

In January, the theme of our monthly Cub Scout Pack meeting was “Invention Convention.” Each boy was supposed to bring something he constructed from a short list of common household items. William took some plastic drinking straws, shaped them and Scotch-taped them, to create a little house. Well, more like a cabana. A very flimsy cabana. It was a fairly last-minute, unimpressive “meet the basic requirements” effort.

At the Pack meeting, each of the 40 or so boys placed their “inventions” on the bleacher-like steps in front of the stage in our local school’s utility room. A little later, Patti, the Assistant Cub Master, handed out the awards for “best inventions,” as judged by a panel of parents. She called some kid’s name and handed him a certificate for “Most Creative.” The next boy she called won “Most Colorful.” Then there were “Most Interesting,” “Most Tall” and “Most Heavy.” About tenth into the awards, she called William’s name. He won “Most Delicate.” My boy beamed, and so did his parents.

Gradually, it began to sink in that every boy’s invention was going to win an “award.” They had a long list of adjectives, and they found a way to praise each participant. We ended up with a room full of happy little boys and proud parents.

What struck me most about the presentation was that this woman, who had originally made a negative impression on me, was having more fun than anyone. She blossomed in the role of awards presenter; the comments she made were warm, clever, cute — she was quite obviously enjoying her role.

Was this the same person I had spoken to last year, to protest the scheduling of pack meetings on Friday nights because that would put my son’s participation in conflict with his religious obligations? Was this the lady who told me I couldn’t expect them to change for “just one child”?? (They eventually came around, and the meetings were moved to Thursdays.) Maybe I had caught her in a bad mood. Maybe I had made her defensive. Maybe I had judged her to soon, or too harshly. This was someone whom I was beginning, irresistibly, to like.

Fast forward to last week, and the Annual Blue & Gold Banquet. Award time again, and tonight, Patti is handing out certificates of appreciation to the parents who helped out over the past year. And who gets called up for an award? Yours truly, for “playing the keyboard at our meetings.” I took it along, maybe twice, and played “God Bless America” for the boys to sing along with after the pledge. For this, I get a certificate. I am a hero — to myself, to my wife, to my son. And Patti, by now, ranks in my list of most admired people, just a place or two below Mother Teresa.

The point is: we like people who make us feel special.  There’s more to it than that: we like people who make others feel special, too. And we like people who like making people feel special.

As radio performers, we have many opportunities to apply this notion. The simplest is that when we have a contest winner on the phone, we should show some genuine excitement for his or her victory. It may be just another of dozens of coffee mugs to you, but to your caller, it’s an event, a moment in the sun. Reach inside, remember how you felt when you won something, and show those feelings toward your winner. Celebrate the victory with him, even if only for a few seconds. It not only makes the winner feel good, it makes everyone who hears it like you, as a person who enjoys other people’s victories.

I believe all contest participants should win something. An autographed picture of the staff, a certificate — anything that carries the message, “To us, you are special.”

With any caller you put on the air: treat them like long lost friends you are very glad to hear from. Make them feel special. It not only makes them your friend, and everyone they know and talk to about it — it also shows you to every listener as the kind of person they’d like to know better.

Never miss an opportunity to “stroke” on the air. Those of us who use humor do plenty of fun-poking, satire and put-downs. I’m all for it, but when possible, we ought to counter-balance it.

When you see an item in the paper that says someone in town did something worthwhile, mention it and salute them. When a clerk in a store is especially nice to you, mention their name on the air. Watch for opportunities to say something nice about your town or market.

A generous spirit is one of the most appealing traits human beings can have. Most of us look for this quality in our friends. Cultivate it in yourself, and you’ll find more and more people thinking of you as their friend, on the radio.

Jay Trachman is publisher of “One to One,” a weekly information and humor service for broadcasters. Jay can be reached at: phone (559) 448 0700, fax (559) 448 0761, e-mail at 121@att.net, or www.121online.net. Reprinted with permission.