Listen to the interview here!
Pam Blickle
Toni Reece: Hi there. This is Toni Reece. Welcome to the Get Inspired! Project for Berks County Living Magazine. Today I am with the lovely Pam Blickle. Pam, welcome to the Get Inspired! Project.
Pam Blickle: Thank you. I’m so excited and honored to be here. So excited to meet you, Toni.
Toni: So Pam, tell us a little bit about yourself.
Pam: Well, I was born and raised in Berks County. Luckily, I met my husband here in Berks County so we didn’t have to leave. We live a really busy life, being a mommy to Max – he’s 5 – work, my husband’s work, keeping involved, keeping healthy. I love it all, every second of it. Anyone who knows me knows I thrive, the busier, the better. Every day, every hour is planned. Life is too short, so the more we plan, the more of the beautiful world we can experience.
Toni: That’s really great. Let’s go into the first question. What does inspiration mean to you?
Pam: Inspiration – that’s a phenomenal question. One I bet a lot of people don’t think a lot about, but I do because my mind rarely rests. Being inspired is part of my daily life. To me, it’s a simple answer. It’s love, it’s family, it’s respect. Friends and everyday people around you. Each of these things inspires me to be a better person, to do better every day; a better mommy, a better wife, a better friend.
Toni: Tell me what the respect means as far as inspiration. How do you get inspired by respect? What does that mean?
Pam: Just respect the people around you. Always be kind. Always listen to them, and respect how they are.
Toni: So treating people well.
Pam: Yeah, absolutely.
Toni: When you see that happening at play, does that inspire you?
Pam: Oh yes.
Toni: It does?
Pam: Yes. I wish everyone could be that way. My little guy had his year-end show last week. A bunch of little toddlers and preschoolers and kindergarteners – I just think everyone needs to take a moment and sit and watch these kids. Everyone that’s bad out in the world. Just take 5 minutes and watch these beautiful children. It’s wonderful.
Toni: I have to agree with you, because it is simplicity at its best, and joy, isn’t it?
Pam: Absolutely. Yes.
Toni: How do you put that type of inspiration into practice here in Berks County?
Pam: Over the years we’ve done a lot of things around here, although right now it’s a little more simple. Years ago, my dad and I, we wrote for McGraw Hill publishers. We wrote several 500-page books. I’ve been involved with Junior League 16+ years, on boards, Reading Symphony, which is something that when my schedule opens up I’ll spend more time doing. We’ve done a lot of things around here, and I’ve enjoyed all of those experiences, because they fit into my life at that time. I know with every ounce of me that’s nothing compared to being mommy to Max and my husband Rob, being his wife.
Toni: Oh my gosh – when you do these podcasts, I get the pleasure and privilege of sitting in front of people, and your joy is so high that it is spilling over as tears. That is humbling. That is absolutely humbling.
You used the word ‘respect’ as far as defining inspiration earlier, and I just love that word. Can you give me an example of how you put respect into play, into practice?
Pam: I think we can sit with Max and teach him, but it’s just not the same as him watching us, watching the respect we have, my husband and I, for each other and the people in our careers and in our lives. I think he just needs to watch us and see and learn from us. I think that’s the best thing.
Toni: How many times have we possibly seen examples of disrespect where we could gather maybe that wasn’t so prevalent?
Pam: I think that happens every day. I think that happens when you’re out in the public. You see people that aren’t respectful, kids that aren’t respectful to their parents, and so forth. It’s not hard to point out and say, “That’s something that you’re not supposed to do. This is what you should do.” I think we do more of that every day then we realize.
Toni: Pam, who in Berks County inspires you?
Pam: That’s my family.
Toni: How do they inspire you?
Pam: My parents…I don’t know what they did, but they just did it right. They did it right, because all through those awful teenage years, I was just a good kid. I always wanted them to be proud. I think they did it right, and I want the same for Max. No regrets. We’re going to make mistakes, but I don’t ever want to have any kind of regrets. Always say, “I love you.”
Toni: That’s so very, very important. So your parents inspire you. Who else inspires you?
Pam: I would say my parents, my husband, my friends, my mother-in-law, all the people closest [to me]. Even strangers. You see the good things they’re doing in the community, and that inspires me to want to be better or do something more.
Toni: Again, it goes back to that demonstrated action that you see that moves you.
Pam: Absolutely, yes.
Toni: What do you want your legacy to be?
Pam: I do want to be remembered that I’m strong and funny and still always a big sap, though – can't take that away. I just am. I come from a family of artists. My husband, my father – fabulous artists. I can't do that. I can't sing, but I do love to write, and every day of my life I’ve had this novel running through my head. It changes as the years go, and it’s about friends, family, and love, and it takes twists and turns, and it’s going to be wonderful. One of these days I’m going to sit down and get it written, and it will be fabulous. I just don’t know when it’s going to happen, but it will. It will be fun.
Toni: I’m looking forward to reading your novel; I really am.
Pam: Me, too.
Toni: This has been such a pleasure to talk to you and actually witness – witness – the joy of your life as I’m sitting here.
Pam: Thank you.
Toni: That is a privilege, and thank you for sharing that with us. Thank you for being part of the Get Inspired! Project.
Pam: Thank you, Toni.
