First, let me explain the title Curious Connections.   Today is the first of a series of blog posts about my personal daily happenings. Before you think this will lead to the mundane, let me explain the impetus for these revelations:  I’ve been amazed at a curious pattern of almost daily surprises—curious because of the content and because of frequency.

So, here I go in sharing some juicy gossip, trivia, and soap opera content. Actually I’m just kidding. I’m going to be revealing all of the amazing connections that touch me  in perpetuam about the Andrea Doria.

Perhaps you’ll ask yourself as I do, “how can one ship, incurring one event have so many connections?” could this be about 6° of separation? I don’t think so; I’d like to think it’s about 2° of separation.

Yesterday, I attended a luncheon to celebrate International Women’s Day. I assumed it would simply be a fun networking event. But as usual, I ran into curious connections to the Andrea Doria. Sitting at my table was a lady who was anxious to share with me the fact that her godmother was on the Andrea Doria with me. When she told me her last name, Belluomo, I recognized it immediately; I had met her in the York at the 50^th  Andrea Doria survivors’ reunion. We immediately felt a bond.

Then came the real shocker! Guest, Teresa Carlson, who had been my teaching colleague several years ago, announced to the entire group of about 70 women her connection. “My father and the entire family had driven from Calabria to Napoli (Naples) to board the Andrea Doria, in July of 1956. It was a long ride. When we got to Naples, Andrea Doria officials asked him to give up his cabin to a young girl who was immigrating to America to meet her mother and needed to be accompanied by her grandparents.” The audience whispered “oh my God!” in anticipation of what she would say next.

“My father was angry, very angry, but gave up his cabin. When Pierette and I were teaching together, I looked up the cabin information, and confirmed that the little girl, who would have the right of passage to America, was Pierette.” At this point, the audience oood and ahhhd. The news brought tears—mixed tears. After all, Teresa’s father was spared a cruel ordeal because of his generosity. Yet, my grandparents and I barely made it to the New World.

What will be my next amazing connection? Personally, I can’t wait to find out.

Every month, two lucky people will will be entered in a drawing for a FREE autographed copy of Alive on the Andrea Doria! The Greatest Sea Rescue in History.

Submit the answers to this month’s LUCKY DRAW quiz at www.PieretteSimpson.com; click on “Special Offer and Complimentary Copy”. Then fill out the required information in order to receive a response and your book. Enter the number of the survivor from the following list next to the name of the shipwreck that they survived in the form below.

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Author Pierette Simpson Lands a Coup on WGN Atlanta

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Author Pierette Simpson recently took my training and then here she is on WGN in Atlanta with a 5-minute story. Wow!

She did so much right! There was a constant flow between her and the reporter. She was easy to be with and she completely danced in the reporter questions.

Her sound bites and storytelling were compelling.

Great job!

The only thing to look out for? Don’t look in camera. At the beginning of the story she is looking directly in camera and she needs to be looking at the reporter.

Check her out here as she shares her Andrea Doria Survivor Account:

http://www.wgntv.com/news/middaynews/middayfix/wgntv-midday-fix-pierette-simpson-101209,0,1195878.story

Do you want to learn how to interview and have media clamoring to work with you? Check out my half day workshops that let you get your toes wet.

For seasoned pros it lets you hone in on your skills. If you don’t use it, you lose it.

Head here for the next ½ day in February 2010:

http://snipurl.com/t1l2u

Reprinted from “ShawneTV Guide,” a free ezine that generates amazing news stories and conversations. Subscribe and receive a free gift at www.shawnetv.com. © Copyright 2009 by Shawne Duperon, ShawneTV Inc.

The building guard led me to the greenroom. It was a little bit like being a star! Although it was a modest room, it was actually green, and I had my own bathroom, refrigerator, and curling iron. I waited for 2 ½ hours feeling rather anxious. I rehearsed over and over what I wanted people to learn from my message during my few moments of fame.

Tom Barnas came to introduce himself; he was a nice young man with a heavy load of responsibilities. I handed him a box of chocolates from Schocolad, a gift recommended in thanks for TV interviews. (I hope he likes chocolate!)  We discussed what I should expect during the interview. I realized later that nothing can prepare for this experience– even the media training classes I’ve taken. It’s a leap into the unknown, not knowing when the cameras are directed at you, what questions will be asked, and how quickly I’ll be able to formulate a response—without stumbling, deviating, or being too verbose.  The five-minute segment passes like a flash of lightning; at the end, you don’t remember anything you said, but wish you would have said something else.   

I walked out of the large studio decorated with large photos of Chicago as the two news anchors continued to deliver the news and introduce other segments. They had to keep up a frenetic pace, hopping from one end of the studio  designated for segments (author interviews, chefs doing what they do best, a band playing, etc.) to the anchor desk for the news. Several large cameras mounted on tall stands, wheeled around, following the anchor persons. I wondered how everyone could keep everything straight. There wasn’t a minute to spare, and no room for mistakes. The one hour of midnight news had to go on LIVE!  

It was an enriching experience, not just being on live TV, but being in the studio that once produced classic TV programs in American culture: Bozo the Clown, Family Classics with Frazier Thomas, and Garfield Goose with Ray Rayner. The studio ceiling had dozens and dozens of projector lights to enhance these marvelous shows. I asked a cameraman why all the lights and he proudly replied, “Don’t forget, Bozo used to be taped here!”

All I can say is, I hope I didn’t come off as a bozo. Based on feedback I’ve received, it seems like I did not make a fool of myself—everyone’s greatest fear in front of the public.

* I asked to have the interview on Columbus Day for several reasons:

•  Christopher Columbus symbolizes great Atlantic crossings, like 101 voyages made by the Andrea Doria.
• Admiral Andrea Doria (for which the ship was named) and Christopher Columbus lived during the same time period and in the same town of Genova.
•  Columbus Day is a proud day for us Italians.
• And perhaps most importantly, Captain Piero Calamai, master of the Andrea Doria was promised direction of the new sister ship “Cristoforo Colombo”. Unfortunately, the Captain never again received request to navigate. The release of my audio book on Columbus Day is in honor of the man who died unnecessarily of a broken heart.

To see the interview, click on http://www.wgntv.com/news/middaynews/

Welcome, Benvenuti, Bienvenue, Bienvenidos, Willkommen, Aloha, Kalōs orisate to my blog, as we voyage on local, national, and international waters.

Since my topic is so vast, deciding what to call my blog has been a challenge; after all, I’m a shipwreck survivor—specifically the Andrea Doria. Shouldn’t I call it “Survival on Our Seas” or “Safety on Our Seas”? After doing a google search about the seas, I realized the subject is far too fascinating to limit my content to personal survival and safety. After all, there is sailing, swimming, surfing, surveying, ships, shipwrecks—all “s” words for the acronym SOS. There is also ecology, geography, geology, biology, climate, preservation, and oceans of research to consider.

Finally, I asked myself: what is my objective? The answer was as crystal clear as the Caribbean—to serve our seas. Therefore, you can expect to read and comment on any of the above topics. I even invite you to discuss lakes, streams, waterfalls, canals, and more. By surviving a catastrophe on the Atlantic, I’ve earned the right to embrace any water issues.

What could be more important, I ask you? We live in a world of water. It covers most of the planet’s surface. We ourselves are made of it — roughly 60 percent of the human body (and 70 percent of our brains) is water. Water IS synonymous with survival!

Welcome to my journey of “Serving Our Seas”.

Bon voyage with me!

Pierette

Author of ALIVE ON THE ANDREA DORIA! THE GREATEST SEA RESCUE IN HISTORY

www.pierettesimpson.com