The Time I Saw My Childhood Icon

Early summer morning always have a smell to them; it’s a mixture of insecticides and fresh grass clippings. When I get this smell I am transported to the summers of my childhood. I remember waking up early, around 6 am, every weekday for the sole purpose of watching Garfield and the Price is Right. I grew up with Bob Barker. He was my summer morning babysitter. I grew to worship the man; he was so charming and really cared about those unneutered animals.

            Last fall, when I saw that Bob Barker would be appearing in the Senate building in D.C. I knew I had to be there. He was there to put on a press conference in the hopes of banning the use of large animals in the circus, very true Bob Barker form.

            That day I sat anxiously at work, counting down the minutes till I got to walk up the street to the Senate building. I skipped eating lunch that day so I could take a late lunch break to see the man who taught me how to be a mindful shopper. When 2 o’clock rolled around, I put on my suit jacket and made myself look as professional as possible. I walked up the street practicing my confident strut to make sure I looked legit. The only way to get into the pressroom of the Senate building was to pretend to work for a Congressman and failure was not an option.

            After a nervous but successful Congressman Legislative Assistant impersonation, I made it into the room and there I saw Bob Barker. He was sitting at the middle of a press table, wearing a cleanly pressed white suit jacket and a pastel button-up, looking fresh off the golf course. For a man with such an extensive tan his entire television career, he doesn’t look a day past sixty. I sat there in complete awe as he went on and on about elephants and tigers. When the press conference ended he said one of the most famous lines in television history,

              “Help control the pet population, spay and neuter your pet.”

            I realized now that I have no idea what he said I am just surprised I managed not drool on myself. I was in the presence of an icon. How many people can actually say they came up close and personal to their childhood icon?