Maybe this is nothing, but I’ve been doing comedy for about 17 years now (BRING ME MY PRUNES, DIANE!) (Diane is my live-in aid in this scenario, and I am not nice to her). Pursuing an art form for any length of time, you start to orbit around certain people. In this case, I’m not even talking about friends or people in comedy, more like other artists whose start you witnessed decades ago, and you trudged alongside, even if they weren’t aware of your existence. One such artist is this musician Pokey LaFarge. I saw him perform at CBGB’s, a dive bar in St. Louis, in 2009, and I knew right away he was a dynamic performer. I bought his CD, and since then I’ve followed his growing career. A fun side note: CBGB’s at the time had a women’s restroom where the two toilets faced each other and there were no doors between them.
He took a hiatus from music where he settled in Maine and worked on a farm, but now he’s back with a new album called Rhumba Country. He’s quoted saying, “There was a time when I glorified sadness because I lost sight of who I was, but now I understand that creating and expressing joy is my gift, and gifts are meant to be shared.” Being a comedian these days, unless you’re really going for the big issues in a brilliant way (I can’t), it almost requires cognitive dissonance with what’s going on. Pokey LaFarge’s approach is a very different way to think about it. I’m assuming if you read this newsletter, you are seeking out joy. But many weeks, I feel ass-backwards writing it. Maybe I need to go work on a farm. I’m weak, but I love barnyard animals.
Anyway, I was sick this week so passions include: instant coffee, going to bed at 9pm, and night showers.
I know instant coffee is “bad” and “tastes awful” but there’s something to pouring hot water over a spoonful of space grounds, and then the coffee’s ready. Especially on mornings where you need coffee to be able to make coffee, this stuff really proves its worth. Also, pour enough creamer in there, you hardly taste it.
If you’re sick, you gotta try going to bed at 9pm. You have your dinner, maybe a little dessert, you watch your programs, and then you think, why don’t I just go to bed. Then you don’t have time to think about what other people are doing on a Saturday night, and how you’re a loser, and maybe parties are fictional, because you’re asleep! Last night I had a dream about work going badly! Gotta love it.
I never want to shower when I’m not feeling well. I prefer to stew in the same clothing for days on end. Really make a roux of myself (I have pink eye). But then there’s the day where you start to feel better, and you think, okay one more day of same-clothes, and then you cap it off with a night shower. It feels GOOD.
And now some from the readers…
Shannon: “My passion lately has been the view on my commute to work. There’s a culvert (I think that’s the right term?) with lots of lush foliage and trees and a tiny stream that always has an egret drinking water and deer playing in the grass. It’s really magical.”
Kylee: “Reserving books at the library! I use my library app to say what books I would like and then I get an email saying when they are ready - you never know when the email will arrive, so it's a fun surprise.”
Kate: “Jo my passion is the second hour of the day that I'm awake. The first hour I'm awake, I'm cranky, I'd do anything to get back in bed. But once that second hour hits I've had half of my coffee and some water and I feel like this will be the best day of my entire life. That feeling has vanished without a trace by the third hour but in hour two: I'm playing the cool song I looked up that was on an episode of Tokyo Vice, I'm following up with my local Barista on how their trivia night went and I judge everyone who is still asleep, harshly.”