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Entertainment world can translate into agricultureI admit I get star-struck every now and then. Of course, most of the "celebrities" I interview are only famous in the agricultural sector. I just can't see Secretary of Agriculture Ed Schafer walking the red carpet, handing out autographs to screaming fans. Of course, who knows what Secretary Schafer does in his spare time? He could very well be moonlighting in a boy band. But, I digress. Occasionally I get the chance to interview real, honest-to-goodness stars from the entertainment world. And, that's how I came to have a chat with country music star Jo Dee Messina. Now, Messina was in Dodge City last week as the opening act for our annual Dodge City Days. And, because High Plains Journal is technically local media, we were invited to interview her before the show. Isn't life something? Only in America could a farm and ranch paper interview a country singer. But, come last week, as I prepared for the telephone interview, I had an awful realization. Just what do you ask a musician? It's not as if I can talk shop with her. My shop talk revolves around CRP grazing rights, cotton crop failures and the latest in agricultural policy. Somehow I'm guessing she wasn't going to have an answer to my standard opening question, "So, what's new on your farm?" Nope, I had to get creative. I had to think like an entertainment reporter, in order to pull this off without Messina laughing at my ineptitude. (Oops, not that much like an entertainment reporter--I almost got my shoes icky in the muck!) What questions could I ask her without sounding like I don't know anything? Afterall, the right question could be the difference between being taken seriously, and Messina bursting into hyena giggles. The day of the interview came all too quickly, and before I knew it I was on the phone with the lady herself. And, surprisingly, once we started the interview, it wasn't that scary at all. I don't know what I was expecting a celebrity to be like (because, let's face it, they're rarely like they seem in magazines and on screen) but Messina was a hoot to interview. I only hope she wasn't too disappointed in the interviewer. We talked about her new album, the tour schedule, and the hectic life on the road. But the neatest thing for me was hearing just how much she relishes her career and takes true enjoyment out of the work and the music. I talk to a lot of people, and you could hear her smile over the telephone. She was bubbly and candid and yes, even a little inspirational. I asked her about the pressure media place on young girls today to be something they're not, and just what would she tell a girl hoping to follow her dreams to Nashville? "I always tell people, don't be so afraid of losing your dream that you sell out to get it," Messina said. "You can get so caught up in jumping through the hoops and having people tell you to stand on one leg or stick a chicken feather to your forehead. But then you look back and ask, who is that? You don't have to sell out. I'm not saying don't chase your dreams, but that you can achieve them by being true to yourself." Being true to oneself, now, that's a message that translates into ag-speak quite nicely, isn't it? The time flew, and what had started out to be a scary interview of a celebrity ended up being just an average chat with a friend down the road. Granted, this friend sings to millions, but a friend nonetheless. Now, I wonder if Reba or George have heard of High Plains Journal? I think I could be a pretty good entertainment reporter if I had the practice! Jennifer M. Latzke can be reached by phone at 620-227-1807, or by e-mail at jlatzke@hpj.com. 8/4/08 Date: 7/28/08 Advertisement
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