Laughing, singing and dancing for a good cause

A man and his dummy
Courtesy: Tom Harness

By Kevin Hunsperger

@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

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For the last four years, I've had the honor of being a part of the Hospice of Southern Illinois Red Carpet Gala. It's the premier event of the year here in southern Illinois. It's a fundraiser that features the talents of men and women from around the region and me. More than a thousand people attend the gala, which raises money for Hospice of Southern Illinois.

The first year I was the biker from the Village People and we danced the YMCA on stage. A year later I was a member of the Four Seasons and provided backup vocals and dancing to our "Frankie Valli". After two years of singing and dancing I was assigned a comedy routine and took on the role of Bill Engvall from the Blue Collar Comedy Tour. 

The 2017 theme was Great Performances from the Big Apple and our group was cut in half. It was just me and Les O'Dell as we continued the comedy tradition. This time it was Jeff Dunham and Walter. Les transformed himself into the "dummy" Walter perfectly. We were the only comedy act this year, so I dubbed us the best comedy performance of the night. 

Mr. Worldwide & his crew
Courtesy: Deb Payne

There was so much talent on the stage this year. The performances included everyone from Frank Sinatra to Lady Gaga to Pitbull. Like I said, everyone was great on stage this year, but I have to give a shoutout to my buddy Tom Harness who played Pitbull. He and his team from Harness Digital Marketing knocked it out of the park. Tom was extremely nervous beforehand and I'm proud of him for stepping outside his comfort zone and getting on stage.

Thank you to the many volunteers who made the night a success as well as to the people who came out to watch and support such a great cause. Word can't explain how grateful I am for the opportunity to be a part of this amazing event.

Remembering 9/11

Outside the 9/11 Memorial in NYC

By Kevin Hunsperger

@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter
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It's hard to believe 15 years have passed since the September 11 terrorist attacks. I was a young father working in West Lafayette, Indiana at the time. Tuesdays and Wednesdays were my days off and I was still sleeping when the first plane hit the World Trade Center. I had to go to a meeting at work that day, so I had turned on The Early Show on CBS moments after the second plane had hit. Smoke was pouring from the building and the anchors calmly tried to explain what was happening. Then the Pentagon was hit and after that word of a crash in Pennsylvania.

From CBS News

My mind was racing and I knew in my heart this couldn't have been an accident. I never would have imagined that people could hijack a plane and use it as a weapon though. I continued getting ready for my meeting and listened to the simulcast on the radio as I drove to the station. On the way the announcer said with a great deal of fear in voice, the tower is crumbling. My heart sank as I pulled into the station's parking lot and continued listening, not wanting to believe what was happening.

Inside the station everyone was glued to the TV. The meeting we were to have was canceled. Crews slowly started heading out looking for ways to localize the events that would change the world forever. I drove back home, told we had enough crews for our local coverage. It turns out the network had taken over and we did a commercial free late broadcast that night.

I sat mesmerized most of the day watching the coverage on a variety of channels. At one point I had to turn off the TV and focus on my two young children. Our youngest at the time had just been born two months prior. After all the fear and not knowing, I was proud to see how our country and our leaders rallied. When President Bush talked from Ground Zero on the bullhorn, there was a sense of patriotism that will be hard to match.

9/11 Remembrance Ceremony
9/11/02 Lafayette, Indiana

That spirit trickled down around the country. Our little community in Greater Lafayette held ceremonies and vigils in the years that followed. There's a permanent monument still there as well. On the one year anniversary my boys were among hundreds of others who laid a carnation on one of the pieces of steel from World Trade Center.

More recently, my wife and I visited the National September 11 Memorial and Museum. Words cannot adequately explain what we experienced during our visit. If you're ever in New York City, this is a mandatory stop on your tour of the area.

Remember the lives lost that day and those who died in the direct aftermath of the attacks. We will never forget.

But first, let me take a selfie

On the 7 Dwarves rollercoaster at Disney World

By Kevin Hunsperger

@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter
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June 21 is known as National Selfie Day. It's a real thing, trust me. Good Morning America celebrated by having correspondent Sara Haines snapping as many selfies as possible with people. They reached 1,177. According to GMA, The Rock holds the record for the most selfies in the shortest amount of time. The former WWE Superstar took 105 in three minutes. For those who don't do math, that's 35 a minute. 

The Rock layin' the smack down on selfies

Some people hate selfies and in turn will probably not even have made it this far into the post. I however have no problem with people who take pictures of themselves. It's become a part of society. Is it a good thing? Probably not. Is it narcissistic? Probably so. But is it fun? Yes. Does it make the person snapping the pic feel good? Yes. Then why do we care?

I'll admit there are some situations where a selfie probably isn't necessary. I don't judge those who do it, but I wouldn't take one at a cemetery, funeral home or other place to honor lost lives; like the 9-11 Memorial in New York. I understand why some people might though. We want to prove to the world we've been places and experienced things. 

Ellen's selfie

Ellen's selfie from the Oscars a couple years ago is still the most shared one on social medial. Gone are the timed camera shots of everyone trying to squeeze in or simply having one person left out of the photo so they can take it. Now we have selfie sticks and other devices to help in the process. Heck there's even a song about selfies and a now-defunct TV show. Here are some of my favorite selfies. (Go ahead and call me an egomaniac).  

Beach selfie

Newsroom selfie

Cigar smokin' selfie

Top of 30 Rock selfie

Sometimes I'm in other's selfies

Even when getting beaten up, there's time for a selfie

Thumbs up selfie

The rare triple selfie

Golfin' selfie

Up on a ladder selfie

Hangin' out in Pigeon Forge, TN selfie

No Dave, but we have a selfie

Inflatable 5K selfie

Merry Christmas selfie 

Running selfie

Magic Kingdom selfie

Craftbeericans on location selfie

Big family selfie

Santa selfie (he told me I was good)

Team No Sleep selfie 

Double J: Jeff Jarrett selfie 

Visiting the 9/11 Museum

By Kevin Hunsperger
@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

Over the summer, my wife and I took a short trip to New York City for a wedding.  Besides seeing the Statue of Liberty and walking through Times Square, we both wanted to visit the 9/11 Museum. It had just opened and we wanted to see the tributes to thousands of men, women, and children who died that day.

Writing about the experience will not do it any justice.  Seeing the artifacts left behind and hearing the voices of the passengers on the planes and in the Twin Towers brought us to tears.  I suggest if you have the chance, visit the museum.  There are a few areas where photography is allowed, so here are some of my pictures.