North Bay Woman

When I read Beth Huizenga's story it spoke to me on a level that was very real. Her story is one that I believe that the women of the North Bay can relate to, learn from, and hopefully even empower their daughters with to change the world. It's about having a genuine conversation, listening and moving forward. I thank Huizenga for her bravery and sharing. I hope that as you read this, whatever your situation, you will come away changed, enlightened, and know that you are part of a larger tribe. – Lori Pearce, Advertising Manager By Beth Huizenga W hen I was a 24-year-old radio morning show fi ll-in producer in Grand Rapids, Michigan, a morning show guest arrived, did his thing, and after, as I was escorting him out of the building as was my duty, as the elevator softly whooshed to the ground fl oor, he pulled me close, stuck his cold gray tongue down my throat forcing my jaw wide open for just a second, and then released me and stepped back through the elevator doors a moment before they closed. It seemed so practiced and impossible; a strategic strike of military precision. After it happened, my eyes opened wide in shock, I found myself alone once again. I ran to the drinking fountain rinsing off my tongue, then ran down the hall to the studio, breathlessly reporting to the morning show team that Tiny Tim had just stuck his tongue down my throat. Tiny Tim had a large face with basset hound jowls, large greenish eyes and white make-up ground into his complexion, ostensibly left over from his performance the night before at one county fair or another. His smudged pallor made him look half of a chalk drawing. He wore a dirty vest with an oversized musty suit sporting a couple clown-like fl ourishes: a trio of fl owers stuck in his lapel, a squeeze horn hanging in his pocket, his ukulele hanging from a strap. He walked stiffl y up to the mic and was unapologetically unresponsive. He seemed only capable of mumbling in weird British slang. The interview was going poorly and I caught sight of the morning guy's eyebrows raised to his hairline, the whites of his eyes showing. He went to work, breathed in deeply and asked Tiny Tim, what do you listen to? What do you like that's new? And (nodding to the uke) What do you play with that thing? Bon Jovi's very fi rst hit "Shot Through the Heart" was No. 1 at this moment of time. Tiny Tim said he liked that one and when the morning guy asked him if he could play it, Tiny Tim launched "We live in a world where people often prey upon the weak and vulnerable and unsuspecting as surely as coyotes chase rabbits." – Beth Huizenga Empower, Push Away and Shout

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