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HAVING FUN MATTERS
July 13, 2016
Yes, I have to give thanks to the Creator of the universe for the blessing of being involved in fun-filled work that gives me the opportunity to travel.
Yeah, I know there are enough horror stories in the mainstream news and on social media to remind me of how risky it can be to be traveling on an aeroplane, or even just to be walking on some US streets as a black man nowadays, but I refuse to focus on that.
Mi nah say mi nuh fraid sometimes yu know! But I try not to focus on weakness, doubt or fear. Instead, I try telling myself that I'm OK and then I act like I'm OK until I start feeling and believing that I'm OK, and before you know it, I'm really OK. Fi real man; life is too short fi me allow fear the power to paralyse me and prevent me from enjoy the goodness.
striding briskly
So last weekend,I got to spend time in Los Angeles California sharing headline with Marc Trinidad on a Caribbean comedy show. And look here nuh, if you see me sauntering stylishly out of the hotel and striding briskly and confidently down the streets of LA, you'd believe I was one of them A-lister movie star who stays in the penthouse suite and only downgrades to travelling first class when the private jet needs servicing.
Yeah man, mi swag was so up, yuh couldn't tell say mi bruck!
If you see how me stepping like the rooster of the henhouse you'd never believe that I had to whisper a prayer even after thoroughly taking myself through the above mentioned 'OK' routine to conquer the fear that was reminding me that my skin is allergic to gun shot, and telling me to stay in the safety of my hotel room, and thereby avoid the real possibility of being the next black man who has a fatal encounter with a US police officer.
But I told the devil of doubt 'no, not this time'. I kicked fear to the curb and had a wonderful time.
I got to check out some of the night life on Friday. I went to the 'Comedy Union' and saw an outstanding young comic named London Brown.
awesome opening
And I know I've said it before, but I'm really intrigued and excited by the idea that there are venues in LA that feature stand-up comedy every night. So I continue to publicly wish that Jamaica had some clubs like that too.
For our show Saturday night there were awesome opening acts - Mexican-American Manny Maldonado and Afro-American Memphis Bill.
Di two a dem wicked! Sorry, I'm not going to give you any of their jokes, especially since I'm really looking forward to seeing in Jamaica sometime soon. But when Manny said black people got a movie called 'The Butler' so the Mexican are wondering when they will get one called 'The Gardener', I nearly dead.
And I'll only say two things about the Caribbean acts. One - Wi mash dung di place! And two, because Marc Trinidad kept getting questions and making about his unusually large ears, I had to declare to him and the audience that I also have something really, really big.
But I can't just share it with everybody. And like you're doing now, they imagined I was referring to a body part, when I was just merely describing the size of my hopes and aspirations. Shame on you, naughty, one-track-minded people!
Life is rough, yes, but we have to laugh yah peeps! If all we have is funeral, then we will just emphasize the first syllable of the word, 'FUN'.
As my Trinidadian comedian brethren would say, we put merriment even inna 'bury-ment', as we laugh in the face of trials. Of course, we can also take good things make laugher. And we wouldn't mind laughing more, just for the sake of laughter.
But we are a people who have mastered the art of using 'kin-teet' to 'kibba heart-bun'. And we will continue to face the struggles of life by taking bad things make laugh. Nuh true?
