Any listener of Lino Rulli on The Catholic Guy Show is familiar the routine.  Someone calls in, let's say it's "Doug from Kansas," and they share some witty banter back and forth and at the end of the call Lino says, "Thanks for the call.  Call any time."

He says it so fast and so often that after awhile a person might feel that he is just trying to be nice but doesn't really mean it.  After all, I'm sure that he isn't really thankful for every call.  Some callers are boring.  Some callers don't have a point.  Some callers make fun of Lino.  Yet, he nearly always says thanks and makes them feel free to call.

I think that Lino making his callers feel free to call in is one reason for the success of his show.  His interaction with the callers is one of the draws.  As a listener and a fan, it makes me feel like I am part of the show and not just someone listening from Kansas City.  It makes me feel wanted and appreciated.  The callers are normally funny and quite often--they really have something to say.   As a caller, Lino makes you feel comfortable.  He makes it feel as if you are talking to a buddy and not like you are an international radio talk show.

I never realized how much I appreciated Lino's phrase and how he makes the callers feel with his line until the other morning when I was listening to a show on another channel.  (We are free to change the channel outside of the hours of 4-7pm Eastern, 3-6 Central, correct?)    First of all, I was on hold for about 30 minutes and sat through several commercial breaks.  We've all heard callers talk about sitting on hold with Lino but this was different.  On TCGS, if you are on hold that long, normally the call taker will come back on the line a couple of times to check up on you.  They make sure you are still there.  They offer you some tea or a bagel. It's like you are in a green room.  No so much on this other show.  I sat there the entire time on hold and not know what was going on.

Finally they come to me.  No witty banter.  Just BOOM! What do you got?  I said what I was going to say and then the two hosts start talking back and forth and after a minute or two . . . dial tone.  No "good-bye." No "thanks for calling."  No "go jump in a lake."  Nothing!

I have to admit---I was a little ticked off!  I mean, sure,  I've been hung up on by Lino but that was schtick.  That was funny.  I don't know who these guys thought they were.  I bet they've never written any best selling books like Lino has (Sinner, now available at Amazon.com and where ever fine books are sold)

It was then that I realized that Lino has brought us all together.  We not only enjoy the show because of Lino but because of all of the other callers---from Bad Connection Bob to "dustin in Where-ever-he's-living-today"  Just as we are all one Body in Christ---we are also a community of listeners--all brothers and sisters.

Thank-you, Lino.  And you can call me any time.  (Fr. Jim has my number)