In the 25 years “The Oprah Winfrey Show” was on, I never got it together to make the trip to Chicago to see it live.
Who didn’t think about going to see Oprah and getting a present on her show? I still watch reruns. I follow Oprah on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. When Oprah posts a video and has 300,000 views, half of those are just me.
I read the books she suggests. I watch some shows on her network, OWN: “SuperSoul Sunday,” “Greenleaf” and again soon “Queen Sugar.” I have the OWN app, just in case. I’m stuck on level 102 of “Bold Moves,” Oprah’s inspirational puzzle game. I subscribe to “O, The Oprah Magazine.”
If you’ve watched any Oprah whatsoever, you’d hear mentioned over and over by all kinds of people she interviewed about the importance of being grateful and thinking positively. I’ve tried this and it worked. I thought positively about having a new car. Within three months from the time I started giving gratitude for my car, my cousin died and left me her car. That wasn’t what I had in mind and that was the end of my positive thinking. Till now.
Because I get my churchin’ from SuperSoul Sunday on OWN, I’ve been introduced (not literally — through the TV) to many different spiritual leaders. Joel Osteen appeared recently and then I read his book. He preaches that you need to say things out loud — proclaim it like you believe it and it’s best to overshoot it. Which I took to mean if you want a house — give thanks for your castle.
To my delight it was announced that Oprah was coming to Northampton to get an honorary degree and give the commencement speech at Smith College. To my disappointment, it became apparent there were a wicked lot of people planning on going to see Oprah. This wasn’t just any graduation and I was going to need a big miracle to get a ticket to see her live.
So I started giving gratitude for Oprah being on Earth at the same time as me and then saying, “Thank you lord, I am running away with Oprah.” “ToOprah,” like yelling “Towanda” in “Fried Green Tomatoes”!
As the time grew near with no ticket prospects, I became OK with the thought of waking up at the crack of dawn to ensure a seat to watch the live stream of the commencement at John M. Greene Hall. I started telling people that’s what I was going to so and I was happy and excited about it. Then when I told an editor at the Gazette that I’d really like to go to see Oprah at Smith’s graduation, he suggested that I write a guest column. That’s how I ended up with a seat reserved for me with the rest of the media in the second row for Sunday’s commencement. Ask and you shall receive. I was granted my wish and, as far as I know, no one died.
As the big day grew closer, people began to buzz with predictions of when Oprah would arrive, where she would stay and what she would be like. I wanted to be out and about when she arrived, like a welcoming committee. I asked a friend to hang out downtown on Saturday evening. While I was on my way, I got a call from a cousin about something else, but she added to make sure we hit the Coolidge Cafe at the Hotel Northampton.
So, first stop, Coolidge Cafe, one drink, deciding where we are moving on to, when Oprah walks by the window headed to Main Street. Suddenly it was a great time to go for a walk. As we were walking down the fronts steps, I saw a cute dog and “ahed” at it. At the moment I was about to ask if I could pet it, I realized the owner was Oprah! The dog was Sadie! I hadn’t seen Sadie when Oprah walked by the window and I didn’t imagine Oprah would backtrack so quickly. I stopped dead in my tracks. She was looking at me smiling and I said, “Hi Oprah.” She said “hi” back. Sadie and Oprah walked up the steps toward me and when she was next to me I congratulated her for getting the honorary degree and she said, “Thank you very much.”
I did not pet Sadie, I did not ask for a selfie, I did not get help with level 102. I just took her in live and didn’t want to bother her. In my moment with her, Oprah seemed kind, gentle, confident and humble — all at the same time. I was not expecting a powerful world leader to seem gentle. Maybe she needed a nap. Maybe I looked scared to death and she didn’t want to scare me further. It was like 30 seconds of her. I’m completely thrilled and grateful.
Then it was on to graduation Sunday morning. I have never been to any graduation as grand as that one. The Smith College quad looked immense filled with people. The opening procession from one side of the quad to the other and up to the stage was moving.
I saw Oprah get her honorary doctorate with my own eyes. Google doesn’t even know how many she has now. Maybe someday she’ll interview herself and tell us what each means to her and what she does with them. To me it seems that Oprah gives many young women an education that they will in turn use to do great things for the world, and one of the things the universe gives back to her is this great honor.
Dr. Winfrey in her commencement speech said service is the secret of her success. She explained how she changed “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” requiring the producers to set clear intensions for each one. This adjustment allowed her to use television to serve the viewers, rather then being used by television. She made the decision not to do a show unless it aligned with her truth.
Dr. Winfrey said she learned from all the interviews she did over the years that everyone is the same in that they just want to be heard, seen and understood.
Dr. Winfrey, in a message to everyone, stressed the importance of finding a way to make yourself full by loving yourself and giving back to yourself “so your cup runneth over.”
Michelle Pontbriant, of Easthampton, is a circulation manager for the Gazette and Valley Advocate.