“Wheel of Fortune” fans around the world are mourning Pat Sajak's retirement, but I'm excited for him. I know something about life's big changes. Spinning the wheel of “America's Game” back in 1996 led me to embrace a more authentic version of myself in a terrible year in which I almost lost everything.
Pat (I always think of him as Pat) has appeared in my life twice.
The first time was in 1985, when he hosted the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. I was a young, struggling actor performing on the Care Bears float with Miss America. As “Bedtime Bear,” I had to straddle a fake crescent moon 20 feet above street level. Because it was raining and the moon was slippery, I almost fell and died. NBC cut to Miss America just in time for no one at home to see it, and (I reviewed the tape) Pat didn't mention my near-fatal mishap on the air. Thanks Pat.
A decade later, the producers of “Wheel of Fortune” called me, years after I had auditioned in New York City to be a contestant. A lot had changed since he was “Bedtime Bear.” I left New York and moved to Fresno, where my husband got his first job after medical school.
But being dubbed “a wife and mother of three from Fresno” when we recorded felt bleak. At the last minute I added “writer” to that title. And Pat was very kind. He asked me about my family and then he wished me, “Good luck with writing.”
That day taught me a lot about luck. It helped us ordinary contestants manage our emotions, understanding that when we shouted “A lot of money! Big money!” Behind the wheel, what we really wanted to say was: “Change my life! Change my life!” He was with us as we won and lost, helping us feel that our losses were temporary. When we won, he acted happy but not surprised. And he taught us the power of letting go. He showed us how to spin that heavy wheel and warned us that if we didn't let go, it would drag us into the hole below.
When I got to the bonus round, Pat offered me his arm and helped me down the stairs, making me feel like Vanna White. She was very nervous and he was a gentleman. Thanks Pat.
My bonus round category was “THING” and the studio audience complained because everything is a thing. Pat groaned too. Seven letters. He gently reminded me that I had 10 seconds and to just “talk.”
A second passed before he blurted out “TITLE!” and Pat said, “That's right!”
I had won a new Chevy Blazer!
The cash and prizes totaled $81,743, and that figure appeared on televisions across the United States.
At that moment I truly believed I had earned everything I could ever need: cash to pay off my husband's medical school debt, vacation prizes for my family, and more. I felt like “Wheel of Fortune” had solved all my problems.
What I didn't know at the time was that my husband was having an affair. Every penny of my earnings went to the divorce lawyer who helped me end my marriage and obtain a rare removal order from the state of California, allowing me to return East with my children. It was a different prize package than I thought, but “Wheel of Fortune” gave me the biggest wins: my children and my freedom.
My children are grown and I found my calling. I work with students around the world, helping them discover their authentic voices and talk about what matters to them.
On Friday, Pat let go of the game show wheels to begin her next chapter. I will miss watching him on television and will never forget the impact he had on my life. The wheel of fortune turns for all of us. Now it's time to turn. Thanks Pat.
Susan Daniels teaches speech at Amherst College. Her story, “Riding the Moon,” won a comedy writing award, and she just finished her memoir, “The Before and After Girl.”
