Card Carrying Member

For a good 20 years or so now I’ve been a devotee of public radio and NPR, listening to NHPR in New Hampshire and then MPBN in Maine. At one time, the first three preset buttons on my car radio were all three public radio stations when I included WGBH Boston’s public radio in the line up. That was when I lived in Southern Maine but commuted an hour and a half to work in Lexington, Mass. And never once during these 20 plus years did I ever make a pledge or contribution to public radio. I’d make myself listen through the pledge drives (mostly) and always thought I just didn’t have enough money.

That ended today.

Today I said yes.

Today, I became a member of Maine Public Broadcasting Network (MPBN) during the final day of their spring pledge drive. Not just a member, but an “Evergreen Friend” which is what you are called when you commit to a monthly donation…which doesn’t hurt the old pocket book as much  - paying a little along.

This is huge for me because…I’ve not been a monetarily charitable person in my past. I may do a post on that topic sometime but, for now, know that I’m changing.

I reasoned it out this way – I pay a monthly subscription fee for Netflix – we’re at the $10ish level because we don’t spend a lot of time watching TV. I spend WAY more time listening to NPR. I’m a bit of a news junky and NPR is a main source of news when I can’t be on my computer. I also pay a monthly fee for internet access. So it made a lot of sense for me to “subscribe” to my local public radio station.

I’m jazzed about it! 

YES!