A Kid Named Obama...

I've been doing shows for so long I can see actual patterns.

I was doing a charity show for a very poor community center in Oakland and I met a little boy named Obama.  I don't exactly know why the parents didn't think of naming the child Barrack.

I'm a big Obama guy, so it warms my heart.  I thought it was cool.

When I first started clowning, I met kids named Reagan.  Quite a few actually.  I'm not a Reagan fan, so I found it strange.

I have never met a kid named Bush.  Neither of them must have impressed anyone.

Met lots of kids named Carter.  Probably not named after Jimmy, just a cute name.

My wife and I used to have a landlord named Wilson.  He wasn't old enough to be named after Woodrow but I'm sure his parents on coming to America wanted to respect the country.

I've met lots of Kennedys.  No one name Johnson, because that would be a problem naming someone after a penis.

Now that I think of it, I wish I had named my son Dick and changed my last name to Johnson.

Nixon?  That's a burdon to carry.

It was nice to meet a kid named Obama.  It reminded me of how the world changed in 2008.  Whatever has happened or not happened a whole community has changed and has been heard.  People of color see someone that shares their background.

You know, that's pretty cool.

Meeting a little boy named Obama made me smile.  Even if the teacher was saying. "Obama, come here, come here come here"

The Way You Wanna Say Goodbye...

I had an event the other night I wasn't sure about.

I have a client that hires me for all her grandkids.  She's a big fan of mine, even sends me very goofy emails from time to time.

I was on hold for her months away.  She called and asked what days I was open this last weekend?  She said she was diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer.  She had gone in for a physical, they did the normal blood work and found a mass.

oy.

She felt fine, didn't go to the doctor because she felt bad, just a physical.  She walked out with other news.

She told her doctor she was having a party for her mother's 90th birthday in October. The doctor said, if you want a party, you should move it up.

It's a bit freaky but I go into focus mode in these situations.  My job is laughter. I get very focused on that, the death part doesn't bother me.

And that's the really odd part, I'm very freaked out by mortality, it is on my mind an unhealthy amount.  Faced with sickness and death, I go for it, with all my might.

The show was a huge success.  Lots of people, lots of kids, it was great.

I was thinking, isn't this the way you should go out?  With a party and a clown? We all say that but who would have the courage to actually have a party?

She's a good lady.

There was plenty of laughter, no tears.  Children running around, good food, people drinking but the normal way.  From the outside, just a nice family reunion.

They are a nice family.  I tried refusing payment but they forced money on me.  I guess that's the way it should be, I'm in no position to refuse.

In my line of work, you get into situations you never expected.

I really am blessed.