MEN IN MOTION
Editor’s Note:
When I first met Michael Moran at an event in New Jersey earlier in the year, I was mesmerized by his voice and quickly fell in love with his sense of humor. While he is very funny Michael is also extremely kind, giving, and diligent. Today, Nasreen Bhutta talks with Michael about his life’s journey. Enjoy! ~Steph
For the most part, I think that humor and learning to forgive myself for my imperfections and in doing that I’m more accepting of other people. I fail daily. I’m gonna fail every day, I’m human and that’s okay too.
~Michael Moran, Clear Vision Network
Interview Transcript
Nasreen: Welcome to Bold Blind Beauty and Beyond Sight Magazine an online community where Real Beauty Transcends Barriers. Bold Blind Beauty’s 2020 A Year Of Vision Campaign also celebrates blind and visually impaired men. I’m your host Nasreen and for our main segment of our Men In Motion feature, our featured guest is Mr. Marvelous himself, Michael Moran. Mike is involved in podcasting, voiceovers, inspirational speaking, and is also a business owner and so much more! So let’s all give a warm welcome to Mr. Mike Moran. Welcome, Mike!
Michael: Well thank you, it’s a pleasure to be here. I didn’t know it was magnificent or marvelous or whatever you said but I’ll take it!
Nasreen: Absolutely!
[both laugh]
Nasreen: We’re so proud of you to be here as part of Bold Blind Beauty’s community as well. And just for everybody out there listening Bold Blind Beauty, we met up with Mike Moran in an event in Chicago, sorry, New Jersey. Sorry, wrong city Mike. [laughs] And since then Mike has joined our team and we’re really, really happy. So we wanted to really feature him on our Men In Motion segment. Mike, I want you to let me know how it feels to be on the other side of the hot seat? Usually, you’re on this side.
Michael: Yes, I know, this is quite a switch. And I feel like I don’t know where I am. I’m just in such shock I could be in Chicago, I could be in New Jersey now I’m really confused but go right ahead I’ll figure it out.
Nasreen: Mike, let’s start off with a little bit about your background. Can you share your journey of little Mikey with us to the present Michael?
Michael: Let me see if I can condense this. I was born with congenital glaucoma. I only had vision for light and color. I was very fortunate that my mother really had good instincts. She didn’t know very much about the formal aspects of rehabilitation, she went on instinct, and she was very good. She taught me things, she let me go out and get hurt. If I got hurt she put a bandaid on me and sent me out again and she did not hold me back. She wanted me to experience everything. I just love her for that, she was such a wonderful part of my life. She allowed me to be courageous.
Nasreen: That’s fantastic, a lot of parents, they try to shelter folks and kind of reform them into something that they should be bookshelved or delicate. It’s fantastic that she let you out there to experience sort of life as it is and say hey there, there if you take a fall you take a fall. If you achieve the goal you achieve the goal. That is keeping you in the norm and keeping it sort of centralized so you grow up understanding the whole environment around you. So hats off and kudos to her.
Michael: I want to say in defense of those parents who are unable to do that, I believe they have good intentions but sometimes they are afraid and they become overprotective without meaning to be. This is a new experience, let’s face it not every group of parents has a child with a disability. It’s a learning experience. I was fortunate that my mother just followed her instincts. I did attend a mainstream school. At first, I went to a residential school for blind children in Jersey City. It was run by the good sisters of perpetual revenge.
Nasreen: [laughs]
Michael: And they, you know my mother thought she was doing the right thing by sending me there and in retrospect, I have to say “ah, wrong move ma” but, it’s okay. [laughs] It toughened me up. In those days it was a different time so whatever the nuns said or the priest said or the elders said oh they must be right and the kid’s wrong. That was the philosophy in those days. We get through these things. I mean, nobody gets an easy ride in this world and some of us have a little tougher rides than others but it’s how we come out the other side that really counts.
When I graduated I was the first blind student to go to a Catholic High School from my house. All the other students went to Catholic High School from the residential school for blind children. So I was the first child, I guess to be, as the name changes, mainstreamed or included or whatever it’s called. I didn’t follow the formula and I think I gave the nuns something other than what they were thinking they were getting. I think they thought they were going to get a blind child who stayed home, read braille books, and said the rosary. When I found out where the bad boys were that’s where I went. I was not a good student. I wouldn’t recommend other students who are blind do it the way I did it. But I hung out on the corners, I got in trouble, I got suspended from school, I got in all kinds of trouble. I have to tell you this [laughs] it was fun! I mean, we didn’t do anything to hurt anybody, you know what I mean? We weren’t some rough gang that was out there mugging people, it was all fun. You know we had a doo-wop group, we’d sing on the corner, sing for the girls. You know in high school it’s what can you do to make you stand out, you’re respected by your peers if you can do something. Well, I was one of the bigger kids and I could lift more weights than anybody, that was my thing. And the kids I was hanging out with, they must have had some kind of degree in rehabilitation because all they would do is, we’d be playing football and all they would do is hand me the ball and tell me to go up the middle and or whatever they were doing. Whatever we did we got in trouble together. If we were running I’d hold on to somebody and we’d take off. It was just a great experience and I think it really toughened me up. And in those days I also went to a camp for children who were blind. They weren’t worried about all the litigation that you have today. You know we had counselors who would wrestle with us and you know throw us out of a rowboat and make us swim back to the dock. And it was fun, it was great fun! And it really taught us if you were afraid, keep going, you won’t be afraid once you keep doing it.
Nasreen: That’s a great sort of mantra to share with everybody, you know, toughen up, keep doing it so shatter your fears. It looks like from your childhood and all the wonderful things and fantastic stuff you’ve done broke the barriers on a lot of areas where parents are really stereotypical when it comes to raising their children, not letting them venture out experience new things like things where you got suspended and played football and wrestle and all of that. Those are quote-unquote the norm things that every kid should experience growing up. I commend your mom for that, hats off to her. I don’t know how she kind of put up with all that sort of…
Michael: I don’t know either. But you know, I have to say we can get children into society by making them aware of life not by shielding them from everything.
Nasreen: I also want to ask you what’s the most ambitious thing you’ve done to date?
Michael: I don’t know, it’s hard to pick out because I’ve done some pretty crazy things. But I have to say I loved cross country skiing. I thought that was really terrific and I learned and I got a medal. I was so thrilled and I slept with the medal. As an adult man, I got this medal and I slept with it, I had to. I don’t know I traveled all over the country in my work. I’ve met so many different people. I’ve thrown out the first pitch at a baseball game. I don’t know, it’s hard to say what that is. When the book comes out we’ll try to figure it out.
Nasreen: Oh, so you’re writing a memoir? Fantastic. [laughs]
Michael: I wasn’t until today but I’m just gonna ask you how are you with writing?
Nasreen: [laughs]
Michael: You may be my co-author. I’m signing you up right on the air.
Nasreen: Alright [laughs] we got a deal. Also, Mike, you have also done a lot of voiceovers and you’ve also done a lot of podcasting interviews so I have to you and I’m sure alot of people ask you this same question, but with all the tons of interviews you have done, national and state leaders…
Michael: Yes
Nasreen: To sports celebrities who was your most challenging interview and why?
Michael: They’re all challenging because the first couple of seconds, I call the joining process, and that’s really a key. I find that once I get started and connected with the person then it’s fine. So many wonderful people you know and everybody’s got, most people have positive things. I’ve never really interviewed controversial people.
Nasreen: I guess Trump won’t make your cut anytime soon huh?
Michael: I actually met him in an elevator.
Nasreen: Did you? Oh wow.
Michael: I was coming out of a basketball tournament in Madison Square Garden back in the 90s and he was on the elevator and I was on the elevator and I heard him talking. And I said to him are you, Donald Trump? And he said, “yeah, can I pet your dog?” And I said sure. And he shook my hand and he gave my dog a pet and that was that. And I said to him “you know what? You’re gonna be president one-day young man.” No, I didn’t, I’m only kidding.
Nasreen: [laughs]
Michael: It’s funny because for a guy who says he doesn’t like to shake hands, I had no problem, he shook my hand.
Nasreen: Yeah, wow. I guess that’s something you’ll remember and cherish but I’m surprised you didn’t say…
Michael: I hope he remembers it, you know. If I ever meet him I’ll say “remember the elevator ride?” And he’ll, of course, have no idea what I’m talking about.
Nasreen: Of course, Mike you’re also part of the actor’s guild can you share with us how that journey came to be?
Michael: They’re combined now, it’s called SAG AFTRA which is Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists. I was always fascinated by the guys who did voiceovers and those are the guys that did the prerecorded commercials. The guys at the end of the commercials or that read the whole commercial say, for example, Time Magazine or Ovaltine or something like that. In those days what you would do is you would go to an ad agency, audition for the spot along with god knows how many other people, and then you’d get a call if you’re lucky and you’d go and record the commercials and get residuals. The worst thing happened to me that could have happened to a new artist. The first commercial I auditioned for I got and it was a national spot. It was two baseball players, Tommy Lasorda and Steve Garvey from the Los Angeles Dodgers; it was for Swanson Hungryman Dinners and Entrees. All I had to say was “Swanson Hungryman Dinners and Entrees the second helping of meat is already in.” The mailman came every Monday and I’m thinking oh man, this is great. The residual checks kept coming in
Nasreen: Hmmhmm.
Michael: And I thought man, this is gonna be a cakewalk. Well, you know, come to find out it isn’t that way. So, Ed Macmahon did not move over and make room for me. I had to keep struggling [laughs] like everyone else.
Nasreen: Can I ask, how you did that? Were you using a screen reader? Which technology devices did you use at the time
Michael: No I just, in those days it was just braille. We punched out the dots either with a stylus or we did it with a braille writer.
Nasreen: How was that received?
Michael: Once you get past the audition you’re in. They don’t care what you do because they know you’re going to get it done. That’s why you were selected. Sometimes it was hard to get auditions. This was a whole new thing: What do you mean the guy’s blind? How are we going to get the script to him? Budda bing. And some of these people they had you’d think the script was The Valachi Papers or something, they’d hold onto things like: “Oh I don’t know if we want to release the script that early and ahead of time.” What? What is this a secret document?
Nasreen: [laughs]
Michael: So, there were obstacles to overcome. Now it’s a different ballgame. I mean, people sit at their computers and they wait for the scripts to come down and read them into the computers.
Nasreen: Hmmhmm
Michael: As a blind person, I’m not that quick that I can just read them as they come down and send them in.
Nasreen: So you’ve been in a lot of things Ovaltine or like Swansons, Ore Ida, things I watched growing up or many other people watched growing up. So my goodness Mike, wow, that is fantastic. You should be so proud. We’re honored to know that part of you cause…
Michael: Well, thank you.
Nasreen: We always hear you asking us “hey how you doing?” “What’s your most ambitious thing?”
Micheal: Somebody said to me last week “you know, you don’t even know what you’ve done.” I said, you know, you’re right I have no idea. No idea until somebody starts asking me questions.
Nasreen: You definitely need to put that into a memoir book. [laughs] We’ll help you do that.
Michael: I hope so.
Nasreen: So if you had to define yourself in one word Mike what would that be and why?
Michael: Caring. It’s hard to come up with one word because I like to combine two things: that’s love and humor. I think that we can’t have one without the other. I mean you can have humor that can be damaging to other people and not beneficial and doesn’t fill people with happiness and joy. For the most part, I think that humor and learning to forgive myself for my imperfections and in doing that I’m more accepting of other people. I fail daily. I’m gonna fail every day, I’m human and that’s okay too. I just wanted to say I learned a very important lesson from a friend of mine, dear friend of mine, years ago who said to me: “Be serious about what you do but try not to take yourself too seriously.” And there is the challenge because we all tend to take ourselves too seriously. So you have to use that big three-letter word ‘TRY’ not to take yourself too seriously and in doing that I think it gives me a freedom because I realize I don’t have to carry so much weight on my shoulders.
Nasreen: You know I think those are great inspiring words that can help, good for anybody because we all tend to be a little hard on ourselves, too serious, carry the burden or weight and the of the world or our imperfections. We want to change things so that we’re are quote-unquote perfect. I think you summed it up very well that way. We love your humor, that’s one of those things that we’ve come to know here at Bold Blind Beauty that your humor you are definitely a caring person and we experienced that when we were on the trip to New Jersey. And your humorous side is fantastic and I think that’s what sets you apart from many other people. Kudos to you for all that.
Michael: Well thank you. I have to say that we do all learn from each other. I’m not unique, I’ve had role models and maybe I’m a role model to somebody I don’t know, but I hope that we all inspire each other or influence each other in a positive way.
Nasreen: You are now embarking on a new business, you’re becoming a business owner and you’re putting together Clear Vision Network can you tell us a little bit about that?
Michael: What I’m trying to do is set up a podcasting service for people who can’t podcast or want to podcast but can’t do it themselves or needs some help. I’m willing to work with people at all levels so I can monitor and host the podcast for them or they can do it themselves and I can edit it and get it up on the platform. I can help them put it together, format the podcast, whatever it takes, that’s exciting to me. I was sitting around wondering what am I going to do? I wasn’t doing much I didn’t know what I was going to do next and I’m listening to podcasts and I said “oh I can do that.” And in addition, I really would like to give workshops and seminars for people who are blind or visually impaired. I think it’s important that we explore certain topics like work readiness, grooming for success, how to adjust to the work environment, and many other things that I think are important and sometimes don’t get talked about such as non-verbal communications for people who are blind or visually impaired. So there’s so many places we can go with these workshops and I think they’re much needed and I think what’s wonderful though is that a lot of the young people today are receptive the world has opened up to them…
Nasreen: Yeah.
Michael: through technology and they want to learn more.
Nasreen: Mike how can the general public reach you if they’re interested?
Michael: I’m going to give you my website which is clearvisionnetwork.com. So it’s two n’s C L E A R V I S I O N N E T W O R K.COM and my phone number is 201-906-8524.
Nasreen: Thanks so much Mike.
Michael: Well thank you for having me it’s been a pleasure really.
Nasreen: Thanks Mike, for sharing your journey with us and being our Man In Motion for May 2020. You can find Beyond Sight Magazine at www.boldblindbeauty.com. Thanks for listening.
Special Thanks To:
- Michael Moran, Our featured Man In Motion and BBB Advisory Board Member
- Nasreen Bhutta, Interviewer and BBB Advisory Board Member
- Daniel Lubiner, Graphic Designer and BBB Advisory Board Member
Image Description:
Featured image is the Beyond Sight Magazine cover. Michael’s photo is on the cover, he is dressed professionally in a jacket and tie while standing next to his guide dog Carson (a German shepherd). The masthead is teal with “Beyond Sight Magazine” in black text. The dot on the ‘i’ in ‘sight’ is the eye used for our 2020 Year of Vision Campaign (described HERE). There are 3 lines of white text that say “Mike Moran The Voice Like Velvet.” In the bottom left corner is a teal circle with an illustration of a blind man in motion with his white cane and “Men In Motion” is in yellow text under the circle.