Hey Puddin! Here is a little piece of what I sent the paper... I will send you the postcard when it is published.... (if it happens)
My name is Wendy . I am a 25 year old mom who works at an appraisal and title firm in Southpointe Canonsburg, PA. I heard on the radio that Survivor CBS would be at the Ohio Valley Mall in St. Clairsville, OH on Saturday, January 10, 2004. When I heard this, I almost lost it! I had been a fan of Survivor since it first started. My boyfriend said there was a new reality TV show that started that day and he wanted to watch it. At this point, I had never heard of reality TV. I was skeptical, but I watched it, and had never been so excitied about any TV program before. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time! After that day, I was addicted not just to Survivor, but to reality TV shows themselves.
I have never missed an episode of Survivor since it started. I have seen all 7 Survivor seasons and never missed it no matter what I had to do to watch it. I would even go to the extreme of lighting candles to get in the "mood" before it would come on. If you called me after 8pm on a Thursday night, you would have to leave me a message. I accepted no interruptions when it came to Survivor. Now, you should know how excited I was when they came to do interviews for the show!
When I went to the mall that day, my stomach was in knots. I saw the camera crew and got nervous. I walked into the mall, and saw all of the people who were there to try out for Survivor! They had applications for us to fill out and numbers on the back of them indicating what number contestant we would be to have our 2 minutes for the interview. I sat there filling out my application wondering what I should say to get them to pick me! I figured I would answer them honestly, and try to explain myself in a subtle way. I have always been told less is more. My application had the number 55 on it. This meant I had to wait for 54 people to do 2 minute interviews. After I had finished with my application, I read the rules and it stated that we had to be readily available in April 2004 in case we were chosen to travel. I panicked because my wedding is scheduled for April 24, 2004. I immediately thought "I am going to have to delay my wedding!" I went over to sit in front of the tiki hut they had set up to watch the other people interview. As I watched, I noticed the people who were speaking during their 2 minutes were saying the same exact things I wanted and planned to say! I had no idea how I was going to top this. My mind was blank. On top of this, the man from Channel 7 News (WTRF) had asked me to do an interview for him. He asked me why I would want to be on the show, and I told him because I had been such a fan of reality TV and Survivor, it would just be fun for me, like a camping trip with a prize at the end!
My daughter was there with me, and so was my friend Bridget. My daughter had asked Bridget if she would be her mommy while I left for 29 days. She was so scared that I was going to go away but this showed me that she had confidence in me. As I sat there for the next 2 hours, I did not think about what I was going to say. Bridget said that I should just be myself because I have a personality that would stand out for sure. When they called number 55, I was already standing in the hut. I went in, and sat in the little bamboo chair and waited for what would happen next. They pinned a microphone on me and told me I had to state my name and why I wanted to be a Survivor. Once again, I drew a blank. I wanted to say so much, but all I got out was this: "My name is Wendy, and I want to let you know that no one would be able to beat me because I have the stamina, the energy, and I'm broke. I already have butterflies in my stomach so if you want to feed me bugs, that is fine. I have done worse things for drinks in a bar. If you pick me, I can guarantee your ratings will go up. NUMBER 55 I WILL SURVIVE!"
I did not even take the full 2 minutes, but once again, less is more. They told us that we would hear within 2 weeks. I have one more week to hope they call me. Nothing would come between me and the million dollars. I have spent so much time watching Survivor, I believe I know all of the tricks of the trade. I wanted to tell them that since I am so stressed out at my job, and I challenge my mind everyday, that it was time to put my body to the test. I wanted to tell them I had seen every single episode, and it is my dream to be on Survivor, but when you're on camera, sometimes you freeze up. Maybe that is what would draw them to me. I do believe my personality would stand out but the chances of them picking me would be slim :-\. All I can do is dream and wait and wonder I do, however, know one thing..... I know I have what it takes to outwit, outlast and outplay anyone who plays the game with me.
