But to be totally honest, it was the third time I'd worked with Willie. The first time was way back in '97... I think. Willie had just started his bell ringing gig and I came across him one night while Christmas shopping. I thought "This guy is a TV story just waitin' to happen." I called the Salvation Army, found out where I could find him, and shot a cool little story. That was back at good ol' FOX25.
A few years later, after a two year stint at KOB in Albuquerque, I ran into him again. By now I was working at KWTV again, and they hadn't done a story with Willie yet. Can you believe that? So of course, I did. And if I do say so myself, it was much better than the one before.
Then...
A couple years ago, while loading up my photog gear after some stuff at the courthouse, some guy asks me "Hey man, can you spare a couple bucks?" I turned around to see who was buggin', and it was my old buddy Willie. Seems he had fallen on hard times, lost his job, and was panhandling daily to keep his hotel room. I helped him out best as I could, we talked for awhile, and then I asked to do his story AGAIN...but this time, the "real story." Here was a guy that brought joy to literally thousands of people every Christmas season, but he was basically homeless. You don't come across a story like that every day.
Willie agreed, and I went back to work to find the previous NEWS9 story I'd done with him, because I couldn't really do it properly without showing Willie doin' his thing. Here's the kicker...wait for it... THE STORY NEVER GOT SAVED. Nice huh? How could I do this freakin' story without the freakin' video? I couldn't.
So GUESS WHAT?
I waited until Thanksgiving rolled around again this past year, and did ANOTHER story with Willie. This time I did it the way I had always meant to...with Willie in action, and Willie in a well-lit, sit-down interview. I started on the script, and then realized that the piece needed to be in his words alone, with no reporter track whatsoever. I think it worked. Sure, I'm proud of the AP award and all, but I'm most proud of the story itself. This guy is as real as it gets. He's extremely humble, and although he's not necessarily proud of the hard times he's had, he's certainly not ashamed of them.
