Memoirous

I once invited a comedian to perform at a homeless shelter. There were several factors at the time that went into this decision. One) Everyone appreciates a little humor Two) Those starting out need a little help and feedback ie they need an audience Three) At the shelter day program you have a built-in audience ie they aren’t going anywhere, they love the extra attention, and, sometimes, participation is mandatory In Chicago I was part of an artist resource network and occasionally there were on-line notices from up-and-coming comedians working on a schtick looking for feedback, bookings, etc. I contacted one of them to see if they were interested. Thus, I booked someone I’ll call Frank. Frank arrived in the alley separating the two across-the-street shelters. I found him nervously smoking a cigarette. It’s gonna be fine, I said. To be honest, Frank wasn’t great. His routine needed a lot of work and polishing. But the guys were generous with their laughter and, at times,...

When I was out in Eugene, Oregon on my sojourn I bought a Whirly-gig Popcorn Popper at the thrift store. When I lived in Chicago it was a nightly thing to popcorn for a bedtime snack, while watching TV, or instead of dinner. There was rarely an evening when someone wasn’t in the kitchen making popcorn. The pan was blackened, stained with old oil, never washed. Always there were bits of old popcorn seeds, white stuff, the flimsy shells of past poppings left in the bottom. It was like an archaeologist excavating a dig to clean the thing out. So to find a “new” one, not broken in or seasoned by prior use was a real find. Every time I used the popper I would think of my Chicago neighbors, the Bocks, who used the Whirly-gig popper as much as I did. They LOVED popcorn. One time I called Elanor after popping a big bowl, forgetting the time difference between West Coast and Eastern time—she answered immediately worried. It was hard to explain between chewing mouthfuls: I was just thinking ab...

Remember when you had to use an operator to call long distance, to place a call? Remember asking to call a friend you met at camp and your mother nixed the idea, saying it’s too expensive, meaning you only call long distance if it’s an emergency. Your parents used to call the grandparents every Sunday and everyone huddled around the one phone in order to say hi, tell them what you wanted for Christmas, birthday, you know, emergencies. If a relative from out of town called, Mom and Dad immediately assumed someone had died or been in a car wreck. It was never about anything as frivolous as just talking. Or remember when rates were cheaper on weekends, late at night—that’s why they waited to make a call, hoping the person on the other end would be at home. Remember when you worked summers at Yellowstone National Park and would call your mother from the parking lot as you crossed from the employee dorm to the inn at Old Faithful. In the often chilly morning, the dry air tickling your nose...