The Ottawa valley has a television production that portrays interesting places and people within the community in a show called Regional Contact. Joe B., our director at the time, approached the creators of the show to see if they were interested in doing a story on our HOG chapter. The timing must have been right because Joe was soon spreading the word for all who had free time to meet at the experimental farm for filming. As a regular viewer of the program, I thought it would be good fun to see myself on the show. The show taping would take place on a week day, but that would not be a problem for this civil servant. I also asked my son if he could afford to take a day off school and join me in becoming a star; like I had to ask. It was time to break out the chrome polish. I, along with a dozen or so others, arrived at the farm's central parking lot on a cool but sunny morning. My bike had been acting up a little earlier; the starter was not always engaging on the first push of the button. I assumed it was a minor electrical glitch, so once I got the Electra Glide vibrating, I quickly forgot about it. After all, I had tested the starter a few more times without any further indication of the problem, so it must have been an anomaly. The camera man and the host of the show were the last to appear. They were very casual and easy going and quickly explained what they had in mind. They would first interview Joe to obtain background information about the chapter; then they would film us riding on the roads around the farm. After that, a few more short interviews with various chapter members on their bikes, maybe some close-ups and that would do it for our ten minute segment. When the time came for us to ride, I discovered that I could not start my bike. Pressing the starter resulted in a click followed by a clunk, and then silence. How embarrassing! Since it was obvious to everyone there that I would not be going anywhere without their help, two or three of the guys offered to give me a push. On the second attempt, the engine thankfully caught and I was ready for stardom. We rode around the block a number of times, the camera man following us doing his thing. Sometimes he wanted a shot with all the bikes, other times he just wanted one or two. Like all movie stars, we spent a lot of the morning killing time while waiting for our moment in the spotlight.
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