Humility

Idiots On Parade, the Too Ugly for TV Podcast

Jake disappeared.

Seriously, I don't know where he is, and I hope he's OK.

When he missed our original record time, I figured it was just Jake being Jake: hungover, irresponsible, dumb...

But that was 11 hours ago, and now I'm wondering if he's alright.

So, instead of a new episode, this week I'm bringing you a tale I wrote years ago about an experience I had in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

As a comedian, I travel the country. I perform in red states, blue cities, liberal strongholds, and Trump bunkers. And it's fantastic. So many people live inside an echo chamber; consuming media that panders to their beliefs, talking to people that agree with them... It's damned fascinating to talk to people from all walks of life. People with different political beliefs, sexual orientations, religions, ethnicities... Every so often, speaking with someone gives me a story. Sometimes the situation will be humorous, and lead to a funny tale, other times it can be touching, and every so often I stumble across heartbreak. I make no secret of the fact the best times of my life have been traveling the world, entertaining members of the American military stationed far from home. Troops in countries like Afghanistan and Iraq are in more dire need of entertainment than those in Japan, Guam, or South Korea, but they're (by and large) good people, and I've always enjoyed my time as a tourist among them. They do live, however, dangerous lives. And they have families they leave behind in service of their country. And sometimes, they don't come home. (All gave some, some gave all.) If there is one thing I've learned from my time on stage, it's that you never know who will be in your audience. Laughter is used as an escape; a respite from the outside world. It is a momentary reset button; a pause from stress and pain. Laughter is healing. Every so often, however, it can be a reminder of something you've lost. Laughter can remind you of heartbreak. This is the tale of a widow I met in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan after I finished slinging jokes from the stage. Every so often I pause and think about her. I wonder how she's doing. If she's OK. If she's met someone new and found love again. I certainly hope so. She experienced so much grief and loss, she deserves happiness. Most of us do. Photo by Designecologist: https://www.pexels.com/photo/heart-shaped-red-neon-signage-887349/ The book I mention at the end of the video can be found here: https://www.amazon.com/I-Was-White-Knight-Once-ebook/dp/B005GLJTR8/

#love #life #sad #military #comedy #story #sorrow #heartbreak #loss #darkness #comedian