One thing I’ve tried to foster over the years is a sense of humor and especially to learn to laugh at myself. If you know me, I certainly do some very funny things. Someone recently asked me for advice for Donna and I staying married for so long (33 years). One of the things I mentioned was having a sense of humor about things and being able to laugh even at the goofy things we sometimes do.
The comedians I grew up with are still to me some of the funniest. When I was a teenager, I bought several albums that Steve Martin recorded. Who else could have a hit song based on an Egyptian King? I stayed up late to watch Monty Python’s Flying Circus on KET. A new show debuted as I started high school called Saturday Night Live with guys like Chevy Chase, Dan Akroyd and John Belushi. I have added a new favorite over the past couple of years. It is a lady named Jeanne Robertson.
She is not your classic comedian. She will even tell you she is not a comedian but a humorist who just tells funny stories about her life. I don’t remember precisely when I first heard of her. I think it was from some ladies at church who had gone to see her at the Carson Center a few years ago. She will tell you that she really became popular when she started posting clips to YouTube. The first one I remember is “Don’t Send A Man to the Grocery Store”. I’ve had some interesting adventures when Donna sends me to the grocery store, so I could identify. I listened to more of her clips on YouTube and even subscribed to her channel on Pandora. She is so funny telling stories of her life and family. For example, she calls her husband LB for Left Brain. Left brained people are analytical types. She will also tell you her husband is cheap. Do those two characteristics remind you of anyone you know 😊?
Anyway, I found out several months that she would doing another show at the Carson Center here in Paducah. I managed to get in on the presale and got great seats in the front row. I convinced Donna to come to the show with me. We went last Sunday afternoon. She calls this her “Rocking Chair” tour. Jeanne broke her femur a couple of years ago so now she does her show sitting in a rocking chair. She told all sorts of stories (several which I’d heard before) but they were all hilarious. She reminds me of somebody’s mom or granny just telling stories about their life. The best thing about her is all of her stores are clean with not even the hint of vulgarly or innuendo. They are all family friendly. Donna even enjoyed the show.
I love the advice Jeanne regularly gives – ”Look for the humor in stressful situations”. She also ends just about any interview I’ve heard with her with “Keep smiling!”. I think a lot of us would be better off if we just took that advice. Proverbs 17:22 - A merry heart doeth good like a medicine. I certainly need to take that advice to heart.
I’d certainly recommend that you take a look at some of her clips on YouTube and if you have the opportunity to see her live, do so. Her shows are very reasonably priced and I think you’ll really enjoy yourself.
