PBS: Ur doin' it right

When you blast into the local (really not-very-good) PBS television station to "help" them with their Pledge Drive, and the promotions director meets you at the door, and says "our other person left! can you do this next break?!?" and you say "how long 'til the break" and they say "90 seconds!" and you say "sure",

and they snake the lavalier mic into your lapel, and tell you "Camera One!" and the red light goes on, and you just turn on the internal verbal faucet labeled "fund-raise",

and out comes about 90 seconds of reasonably competent improvised pitching, with no "ums" or "ahs" or obvious verbal gaffes.

And the camera guy says "we're clear",

and the old guy behind you, who's the CEO of the local freeze-dried food-processing non-profit company (basically, civilian MRE's) and who over the years have shipped one billion meals to catastrophe areas around the globe, and whose staff are manning the phones tonight, says to you:

"This ain't yer first time at the rodeo, is it?"

And you answer,

"No sir...it ain't even my first time at the dance"

And he nods and says, "That's what I figgered."