The Religion of Oprah

I miss Oprah already.  Not that I watched her show every day; sometimes months went by without my tuning in, but it was always nice to know that she was there every weekday at 4PM, as she has been for 25 years.  Her familiar voice and ageless face has many a time accompanied me while I worked on early dinner preparations or a last minute deadline for a project.  Sometimes it was a make-over, sometimes decorating tips, a book club discussion, exposes of crimes against humanity, joyful reunions, lavish gifts for her audiences (oh, boy, how I wanted to be there when she doled out the designer handbags willy-nilly, never mind cars), heartbreaking tragedies, racial injustice and crazy celebrities.  Oh, and the countless shows about a subject near and dear to the hearts and hips of American women – weight (gain and loss).

In 1988, I was still coming to grips with my son’s recent diagnosis of autism. The movie “Rain Man” had just been released and there was an onslaught of talk shows that handled the topic like a carnival sideshow.  But not Oprah.  Her panel included many of the same guests as say, Geraldo, but for me, what came across in her interviews that rainy Cleveland afternoon was warmth, humor, dignity and respect.  And a true interest in learning about these very special people.  I will never forget her for that.  Or the segment where she graciously invited white supremacists onto her stage and tried to actually attempt an open discussion with them.  Nice try, brave Oprah.  Total failure, but very nice try.

I liked watching her giggle like a schoolgirl while interviewing JFK, Jr., or Paul McCartney.  I loved when she hosted the commanding presence of Maya Angelou.  Remember when she pulled a wagon of fat onto the stage, representing how much weight she lost on some fad liquid diet?  She has occasionally been criticized for providing a platform of controversy – like the beef industry conflict or the autism-vaccine connection, but all and all, Oprah has entered our homes sincere and genuine.

Although I am not an Oprah groupie – she is not my guru or spiritual leader or anything – I am a fan.  She has helped to enlighten so many.  She has hosted medical and psychology experts; she exposed human trafficking; she has raised the level of race relations in this country; she has promoted literacy.  She has burst open opportunities on a global scale. She promoted the concept of the "gratitude" journal.  She wore really nice shoes.  She has done her job well for a quarter of a century.

Thank you for taking the high road, Oprah.