Happy little trees

MPT has been a part of my life in more ways than one, though I never realized it until now. One of the first things I did when I started here as an intern was learn about all of the different programs we air. This was fascinating because I realized there are programs on MPT I’ve watched for years. A longtime favorite of mine is Bob Ross: The Joy of Painting.

For those of you unfamiliar with the late Bob Ross, he’s a painter who gives his audience step-by-step directions on how to produce nature-themed paintings within a half hour. He’s fantastic.

Last summer, my boyfriend Nick and I discovered the phenomenon that is Bob Ross. I believe it aired around noon and on more than one occasion, he would call to wake me up to come over to watch Bob Ross. I only lived about three minutes away, so I would literally roll out of bed—pajamas still on and incredibly unkempt—just to watch this program.

We would always sit on his couch, breakfast in hand, completely fascinated and always trying to figure out what the end result was going to be. If you’ve ever watched Bob Ross, you know that he ALWAYS adds a tree somewhere in the painting. Naturally, Nick and I would anxiously wait to see where that tree or “babbling brook” would be placed.

I never actually tried to make a painting of my own, as I figured Bob Ross had the paintings pretty well covered, but it’s weird to me that this funny little man had an impact on my summer. Who knows? Maybe one day I’ll actually pick up that brush and see if I’ve missed my calling. After all, as Bob always said, there are no mistakes, just “happy little accidents.”


Melissa Dockman
Communications Intern