the life-changing pig puppet

You'll need a login to read the story, but the photo is viewable by all, at least for now. The porcine entertainer is Porky Chops, or at least a later version of him. What the story doesn't mention is that my mom was the original voice of Porky. She still has the original puppet, which is pretty beat up: he got a skin graft near his snout after a kid got him too close to a TV light, and is basically showing the age a much-loved 25-year-old toy would show.



The existence of Channel 13 has helped countless kids get through some rough times, but upon reflection, also influenced my life a great deal. The station was the start of my my mom's career path; she began there as a volunteer once my sister started school, helping host shows. After a couple of years she became staff, then the went from there into working on the adult psych ward, then got her nursing degree and went to the head trauma unit, then labor & delivery. The experience also started her down the dark path of collecting pigs. The less said about that the better.



I also volunteered there in my early teens; it was there I got my interest in A/V, which led me to a TV Production magnet high school, which then led to J-school (print). Not only would I have not met Kirsti had I not gone that route; but if I had gone to my local comprehensive high school instead, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have graduated, or at least not on time...I would have gone the way of the junior-high buddies that went to Henry.