Maureen Green! The Doctor will see you Now!

In nearly three decades in the public eye in Syracuse, half the people predicted recognition was a blessing for me and half thought it a curse.  They were both right with a nod toward the blessing.   I moved from New England to Central New York to attend the Newhouse School at Syracuse University in 1980.  Once I put myself with all my inexperienced glory in front of an audience, I knew I was inviting criticism.  I thought a trip to the grocery store would have shoppers judging me as a neophyte who had more nerve than talent, trying a career at TV.  I  was so wrong.  The audience was more than supportive and kind in those early days.

The early days evolved into months and then years and eventually decades, and the perks of working in the public eye grew along with the resume.    I never took it for granted, and certainly I never counted on it, but more than once this procrastinator failed to make a restaurant reservation in time and ended up in front of the maitre ‘d at seven o’clock on a Saturday night, asking if there was a table available.  I don’t recall ever being told the answer was no.

I was also pretty sloppy with my store receipts.  I won’t name names for fear of getting the manager in trouble, but a certain favorite discount department store took back many an item it was not supposed to because I no longer had proof of purchase.

I believe it speaks to the issue of trust.  I think the restaurant workers, the store clerks and others cut me a little slack because they trusted me not to rip them off.   And I’m not the only one.  All the Syracuse TV veterans are treated in this kindly manner.  It’s a terrific town in that way.  Businesses think we watch over the community and they thank us with these favors, big and small.   Now retired from the news business, I’m still charmed by the thought of it.

There is one measure of local fame I did not like much at all.   Sitting in a doctor’s office, waiting for an appointment, I know I’d take a second glance if some politician or college athlete entered the room and I sensed plenty of people watching me too.  But I settled in each time and buried my head in a magazine, quietly waiting my turn.  And it was pleasant and relaxing and quite peaceful in there, until the nurse entered the room and shouted “Maureen Green”!   Like woodchucks poking their heads out of the field, yikes, all eyes rose to watch me go.

I don’t know why that bothered me so much.  I’d done nothing wrong to be there.  Often I wasn’t even sick.  I was just getting a check-up.  But that icky, exposed feeling never seemed right to me, and it was the one time I wished I’d had a pen name. Or maybe I should have just counted my blessings,  remembering even then  how well I was treated everywhere I went, before heading to the restaurant where I still didn’t have a reservation.

Tagged as: celebrity, Doctor, medicine, news