I’ve been letting the dust settle from the Oprah announcement that she’s quitting so I could collect my thoughts about the big decision.  I have always been a huge Oprah fan.  She has been on the air for more than half my lifetime…she was a mentor of sorts…the woman on TV who was smart, funny, self deprecating, insightful, inspirational,…someone I could relate to as a young woman pursuing a career in broadcasting and now she is getting ready to say goodbye.

It makes me appreciate even more the one day back in 2003 when I traveled to Chicago to see the Oprah Winfrey Show” for myself.  It was a surprise 40^th birthday gift from my beloved husband, who after hearing me say for years that “all I wanted for my fortieth was to see Oprah,”….came through and made it happen. It was a cold morning in November…right around the time Oprah normally tapes her “my favorite things show.”….the one where she unveils all the amazing items she’s found and then gives every member of the audience one of each!  I could barely contain myself.  Was this going to be the week that I fly back to R.I. loaded down with expensive gifts and gadgets from Oprah???? As I stood in line with a sea of other women inside Harpo studios, all hoping for the same thing, we quickly learned “that” show had been taped weeks earlier.  Our show turned out to be “conquering your fears!”  I’ll tell you one thing…I was trying hard, at that point, to conquer my fear of crying my eyes out because I wasn’t going home with any loot!

That is not to say it was all bad.  The show I saw was very inspirational.  They gave us Kleenex boxes beforehand knowing that the stories and guests we’d be seeing would make us cry and they did.  I guess I was more struck by how Oprah came around to talk to us after the show and people began to break down into tears as if she had this cult like force, this amazing power that is hard to describe unless you are in her presence.

But it is understandable.  Here’s a woman who has interviewed people from every walk of life, big or small…funded causes, created her own causes, given people new homes and new cars, new leases on life.  She’s helped people recover from addictions, healed their afflictions, inspired people to read, and motivated us to lose weight.  She can take down the beef industry with one comment or boost a book to the best seller’s list with one review.  If she wears it, we want it . If she likes it, we like it. 

If she takes you under her wing…you will soar to new heights…just look at Dr Phil, Dr Oz, Rachael Ray or Nate Berkus…they all have Oprah to thank. We all have Oprah to thank…for blazing the trail for female talk show hosts….for giving me some of the greatest television of my lifetime….and while I will soon miss her presence every afternoon, I believe it’s probably the right time to say goodbye.  25 years, as she said, just “feels right in her bones.”  It’s time for Oprah to end the talk show, but not the talking.  She will no doubt continue to be a huge media force at her Oxygen network and a publishing mogul with her “O” magazine and more.  It’s time for the next generation to fill the void she will leave behind.  Oprah is well aware that the door she closes on her show opens a window of opportunity for someone else.  But until then, thanks for the memories Oprah…they’ve been “O” sooo good!