Kicking It Up a Notch

I’ve been in a rut. That’s easy to do with my state and the sane parts of the country in lockdown mode.

 

So last night I decided to kick it up a notch, go on a virtual vacation, and download a bunch of humor books.

 

Some of them are instructive, like the one I read last night from cover to cover. Sleep was elusive. Do You Talk Funny? Seven Comedy Habits to Develop to Better a Better (and Funnier) Public Speaker by David Nihill is an enjoyable primer on what to do when the thought of public speaking (standing on a stage in front of a bunch of people) makes you white-knuckley, heart-racey, and short of breath.

 

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As an introvert for most of my life (I didn’t start that way), I used to feel freaked about public speaking, so I faced my fear and did enough of it in school and college and business life to be able to get through it without sleepless nights and sweaty palms.

 

What’s funniest about Dave Nihill’s stage fright solution is that he decided to beat the beast by diving into standup comedy! Seriously?!

 

I didn’t try standup comedy until I was at least moderately adept at regular public speaking, where the focus isn’t on getting a laugh every few seconds.

 

Isn’t doing standup  right off the bat more or less like throwing yourself into the deep end of the pool to teach yourself to swim? Eegads! Thank you, NO!!!

 

Standup was the scariest public speaking I ever did. (Okay. It was also the most rewarding public speaking I ever did. But that’s beside the point.)

 

Nihill went this route because a good friend suffered a serious spinal injury and Nihill decided to throw a fundraiser for him. All well and good–what a great guy! He gathered a bunch of talented comics and other entertainers to provide the entertainment.

 

But there was a catch–a big one. The honoree wanted  DAVE to emcee the event.  And he knew this would be the first of many such events, because his friend’s injury wasn’t going away in weeks or months or years and would be expensive to treat, so there would be additional fundraisers and he was going to be the face of all of them… because his friend’s physical therapy treatments were no longer covered by  insurance. (Medicare for All, dammit!)

 

Oh boy! White knuckle time.

 

Instead of consigning himself to a life of misery, Dave decided to tackle his flop sweat by diving into the deep end of the pool. And because he’s a funny guy, he decided standup was the way to go.

 

Applause, applause. I stand in awe that he’d go that route.  And it worked for him. He started in bars and local (San Francisco) comedy clubs, studying the other performers while honing his act.  He’s from Ireland originally, so his stage name was Irish Dave.

 

The book is quite a romp even though it’s a guide book. Most readers, I suspect, find themselves gaining valuable insights with a big smile on their faces.

 

As an occasional standup comic myself (very occasional!   I’ve done it three times in my life, at Star Trek conventions) and enthusiastic reader of how-to books including standup comedy, I was aware of the makeup of a good set.  The problem is that I had pretty much abandoned the form because, as a copywriter and editor, I’m so rarely saddled with comedy material, and if you don’t use it, you lose it.

 

Off the cuff, I can be downright funny. My mind does things with words and situations that most other peoples’ minds don’t do.  I often deliver a punch line that gets a laugh, and don’t even realize I’m doing it until it happens. (Yeah, it’s funny inside my head, but is it really funny enough to get someone to actually laugh? I’m frequently surprised when it happens.)

 

I have a funny bone, for sure. Sadly, I haven’t felt it much since 2016 (you know why if you’ve read my other blog posts), and especially now, locked down in isolation the way I am.

 

But while reading humorous books like this, I can feel the funny bubbling back to life inside me. It just needs some encouragement during scary times. Which is why I get such a kick out of the COVID-19 memes that put a funny spin on quarantine/isolation/staying home. “Deciding my travel plans for the weekend. Living room … or patio?”

 

Life is serious and getting through it in one piece (and still sane) requires levity.

 

I’m looking forward to diving into the other humor books I’ve downloaded and sharing them with you.

 

Maybe once my funny gets liberated again, I’ll be able to make these blog posts more lively and lovely and funny than they have been for far too long. (This one feels a lot better already!)

 

Stay tuned!