If I could be anybody for just one day, I would be Oprah Winfrey.
My sister, Jocelyn, was actually one of the lucky people in the audience that was selected to go to Australia: a free, action-packed, 10-day trip down under with Oprah's Ultimate Viewers and Miss O, herself. Jocelyn has been a huge fan of Oprah since high school and in fact, due to the passion and excitement surrounding Oprah's Book Club, she was inspired to start Kelley & Hall Book Publicity along with me and my mom! (You may recognize her because she's actually Skyped into Oprah's book club several times as an unofficial Oprah "book club girl.")
Anyway, my mom and sister got to travel to Australia with Oprah (and my husband, daughter, my dad and brother all decided it was the perfect time for a family vacation, so we tagged along). Now, I didn't get to do any of the cool things that my mom and sister did (yachting with Russell Crowe, an impromptu trip to a U2 concert, scoring a limited edition diamond necklace at one of the two Oprah shows filmed at the Sydney Opera House). But, I did get to see the full Oprah effect. We were staying in the same hotel as Lady O and all of her guests (as well as her producers, staff, entourage, bodyguards, etc.).
Now if there is anyone who is treated like a rock star and has the red carpet (literally) rolled out where ever she goes, it's Oprah Winfrey. Not only were fans in awe of her (who knew she was so popular down under?), but the people who work for her were some of the hardest working and most dedicated people I've ever seen. And they all seemed to LOVE their job. (Then again, we were in gorgeous Sydney, Australia - a little slice of heaven on Earth, so what's not to love?) And they all adored their boss.
Who else could have the entire city filled with flags with your picture on it, a regatta with every sail bearing your logo, and a gigantic letter O hanging from the famed Sydney Harbor Bridge in lights? Not to mention having the Sydney Opera House renamed the Sydney Oprah House during your stay? Even the weather seemed to cooperate (not saying she has an in to a higher power, but does anyone else find it strange that the entire country was suffering from rains and floods except during that one week when Oprah and her guests were there?).
And although I never got the chance to meet Oprah, I did get to meet the people who work for her, her BFF Gayle and her ever-present fans. And everyone -- I mean, everyone -- felt a sense of magic around the woman. She has the most devoted following of any celebrity I've ever seen and people treat her like she's their best friend, their confidante, their family member, their role model. My sister witnessed many occasions where people would tell Oprah their story, and would just break down in tears in front of the woman. The best part: Oprah listened, she connected, she reacted. Even if it was only for a brief moment, the connection was there and it was savored by the recipient. And most likely will be for years to come.
To have that kind of an effect on people -- to truly touch people's lives and have a profound effect on them -- would be an amazing thing to experience. Even for a day. Also, the private jet, the billions of dollars and the feeling of being idolized by the entire world wouldn't hurt either.
As Charlie Sheen would say, "Duh...WINNING!"
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