Anonymously Famous: A Truthful Book About Fictional Things releases November 17!
And you get a sneak peak here.
Chapter 1
We are Connie
Katie doesn’t make any sense at all but that’s what’s delightful about her.
Phil Lollar
Can I tell you a story?
Caveat: Most of what I’m going to write is true. A lot of it is accurate. Can I begin a book with a caveat?
Grand Rapids was the place I didn’t go. “Help! Stuck in the airport overnight. Does anyone live in Cincinnati?”
That was my Facebook post. Okay, actually it was my sister’s post on my facebook page. While I’m pretty adept at machines and figuring out technology, I couldn’t figure out how to put my question on the internet from my phone.
As the sky grew darker with the dramatic Midwest thunderstorm, my connecting flight to Grand Rapids was delayed. Earlier that day I had flown out of Los Angeles to join my husband in Michigan. Even more fun, some fans were meeting my flight at the small Grand Rapids airport so we could go to dinner. These 14-year-old girls had created an Adventures in Odyssey (AIO) podcast and I had been a guest on their show. When they heard I would be in their area, we had arranged to meet for the first time face to face.
On my flight from the West Coast to the Buckeye state, I exchanged the typical airplane pleasantries with the young man sitting next to me. He was probably the age of my oldest son, in his twenties.
He had that look I’ve seen before. The one that says ‘you sound familiar, should I know you?’ as he asked, “What do you do?”
“I’m a voice actor. I do the voices of characters for cartoons, films, toys, and apps.”
“What characters?” I could see him mentally trying to attach my voice with characters he knew.
I thought about the roles a boy might watch growing up. “Well, I’m Honker Muddlefoot on Darkwing Duck, and Alex on Totally Spies. I’m best known and get the most acting opportunity as Connie Kendall in Adventures in Odyssey, but one of my most favorites to do is Baby Rowlf on Muppet Babies.”
His eyes grew wide. “You’re Baby Rowlf?”
“Yep.”
Looking shy he asked, “Would you say something as Baby Rowlf?”
“Sure!” And I did.
He tried to talk, swallowed hard, and began again. “That’s the voice of my childhood.”
And that is a common response when I meet people out and about, including on an airplane.
Now I was in Cincinnati and at the gate to board my connecting flight. Except we weren’t boarding. As my plane kept getting delayed, I watched through the oversized airport windows as the storm continued outside. Via constant text I was in contact telling Mandie and Abby in Grand Rapids to wait on leaving their house. But they were excited and their mom left early to make the one-hour drive from their address to the Grand Rapids airport.
Then came the final announcement from the airline. I was stranded at the Cincinnati airport – which, by the way, is actually located in Kentucky. The next flight wasn’t leaving Ohio/Kentucky until morning. Not only was this highly inconvenient, but I was disappointed to tell the girls I would not arrive in Michigan that night at all. They had made the trip for nothing and we would miss our long anticipated meeting.
The airline offered a cot. Who wants to spend the night in the airport on a cot with no snack shops open? Lord, how could I not know anyone in Cincinnati?
I’ve always relied on the kindness of strangers and I really put the kindness of Adventures in Odyssey fans to the test in perhaps the craziest Odyssey adventure so far. Thank goodness for smartphones. With the cell phone that I couldn’t get to post a facebook status, I called my sister and asked her to post a message about my position and predicament. Then I trusted God for a safe reply.
People asked me, “Weren’t you worried about who would pick you up?” That’s funny.
“Timothy,” the Reynolds family asked their son, “how do you know it’s the real Katie Leigh you are bringing home?”
Sometimes you just have to trust, I guess. The next morning, after a lovely breakfast of waffles and strawberries made by my new friend and Tim’s mom, Koreen, my facebook friend drove me back to the airport.
My frustrating cancelled flight turned into an Odyssey Adventure. I later called the AIO folks in Colorado Springs to tell them what happened. They sent the Reynolds family a nice basket of Odyssey swag.
They sent me a note that read, “Don’t ever do that again, young lady!” Teehee.
Now I can say I have friends in Cincinnati. In fact, I have friends everywhere. I just haven’t met them all yet. While I have been an actress for four decades and the voice of many characters of your childhood, it is my role on Adventures in Odyssey that has had the greatest impact on others globally and on me personally.
The person Katie Leigh has become is synonymous with the character Connie Kendall. Or maybe it’s the other way around. Connie and I have grown up together. We spent nearly a third of a century sharing a voice and leaving fingerprints on the hearts of people around the globe. That sounds gross.
But seriously, almost four decades playing Connie Kendall in the Focus on the Family radio drama Adventures in Odyssey has had a miraculously profound influence on my life. So when listeners write and tell me how they gave their hearts to the Lord because of an episode of AIO and how Connie has impacted their lives, I’m blessed, amazed, thankful, and not really surprised … anymore.
Ironically, with a voice like mine, no one anticipated I could succeed in broadcasting. But I did. Furthermore, I never anticipated I would become a Christ-follower while working in Hollywood—in the cast of Dungeons and Dragons. Can someone really be a Christian and work in Hollywood? On a show called Dungeons and Dragons?
Years later, I was at a booth, selling the D&D CD set at Alpha Omega con. The guy who bought it is the author of an amazing graphic novel called the Life of Paul. I have a great picture we took together at the convention. He said he had just started playing Dungeons and Dragons and was interested in watching the cartoon since his parents probably didn’t let him watch while growing up, (haha). He knew I was in the show and he purchased the entire set.
In the same way that my intended itinerary to Grand Rapids did not turn out the way I thought the trip would go, my own life’s journey looks completely different than I imagined. Like He did in Cincinnati, God has been shifting my plans all along.
Hear Katie’s voice as the audio narrator for Homeless for the Holidays. Get the audio book HERE
Get the paperback version of Homeless for the Holidays HERE
