Embrace the problem

There is not so much difference between a Personal Story Teller and a Stand-up Comedian. 

Both through a "persona" a character (in my opinion, one of our facet) fight with obstacles, problems that come their way. Tumble, fall, fail, get up, try again and again. Sometimes, others help or suggest how we can leave it behind us, or inside us a voice suggest it using an old experience of us or of others.

Then, embracing what happens, learning from it, using it, the "character" (hero or antihero) gets up and goes farther or takes a new, most of the time better direction. 

With a stubborn attitude, an optimist attitude, not giving up (more then momentarily) and both giving courage to their audiences, the hero of story or anti-hero of comedy. To each who looks and listens.

I begun analysing in more detail my comedy set, after reading this night some philosophy from 2000 years ago saying "embrace the obstacle, use it". 

I have a long part in my set about "shaving". 

It begun, boasting how we women are advantaged over men "we do not have to shave". Well, it was about our face. Then, I remembered, how my husband's shaving and showering an evening, I must have been 33 him 34, singled me "he is not going to work, or to drink with his pals!" He was not, indeed. It was one of my awful night in my life, I felt so down. 

Well, I did not make it yet a story from it, but I told already with Spark London true stories, in Brixton, the story of the disastrous holiday after which I decided to divorce finally, on stage, putting in drama and enough humour also, and had real success with it. But I condensed it into some comedy lines. Telling also how I got out of it. 

Of course, in real life it took me more then two years. In comedy, just from one paragraph to the other. 

Well, I did demonstrate by it, no more need really telling, also I could how great it is to be a woman "because we women do not have to shave".

Then came David Jones workshop, fall 2011: it was my third workshop and I still did not go alone out to any comedy club at that time. David told me, yes, my set is good, now take out half of it and make a new half till the end of the workshop, in 6 weeks. 

Try it: it seems awful! Why change something that is already working?

It proved, he was right of course, not only to make something better, but to resolve another problem I was fighting with. Having, as woman, to shave my face after age 50 (or more). I listed all what I have  tried, all that did not work and why the hair was still there and growing back. Also, how I did on screen eradicate the hair I found on my face in a picture ! That stayed clean! To my surprise, that part delighted audiences. 

What, an old woman, computer savvy?

They could not know, I got my first computer programming diploma in 1973! From 1980 I made my living from the emerging personal computers market! I followed from inside. It still surprises all, each time I allude something at web or any use of an "app" as they call it nowadays. Makes laugh. So I use it.

I also showed my "final" solution: There is not so much difference between a Personal Story Teller and a Stand-up Comedian.

Both through a "persona" a character (in my opinion, one of our facet) fight with obstacles, problems that come their way. Tumble, fall, fail, get up, try again and again. Sometimes, others help or suggest or inside us a voice at least.

Then, embracing what happens, learning from it, using it, the "character" (hero or antihero) gets up and goes farther or takes a new, most of the time better direction. 

Both have a stubborn attitude, an optimist attitude, not giving up (more then momentarily) and both giving courage to their audiences. To each who looks and listens.

I begun analysing in more detail my comedy set, after reading this night some philosophy from 2000 years ago saying "embrace the obstacle, use it". 

I have a long part in my set about "shaving". It begun, boasting how we women are advantaged over men "we do not have to shave". Well, it was about our face. Then, I remembered, how my husband's shaving and showering an evening, I must have been 33 him 34, singled me "he is not going to work, or to drink with his pals!" He was not, indeed. It was one of my awful night in my life, I felt so down. 

Well, I did not make it yet a story from it, also I told the story of the disastrous holiday after which I decided to divorce finally, on stage, putting in drama and enough humour also, and had real success with it. But I condensed it into some comedy lines. Telling also how I got out of it. Of course, in real life it took me more then two years. In comedy, just from one paragraph to the other. 

Well, I did demonstrate by it, no more need really telling, also I could how great women do not have to shave.

Then came David Jones workshop, and he told me, yes, my set is good, now through away half and make a new half. Try it: it seems awful! Why change something that is already working?

It proved, not only to make something better, but to resolve another problem I was fighting with. Having, as woman, shave after age 50 (or more). So I listed all I had tried, all that did not work and why. What I did, on screen to eradicate the hair I found on my face in a picture ! 

Then, comes my son, "mother, it is not enough to use a bic, use also shaving cream". Denial. Me? Shaving cream? As men? Never! Well, he did bring me a bottle (even not for my birthday I pretend). After looking at it for a few weeks, I caved in, tried it out. 

The result? I found a funny face in the mirror and embraced it. Took a selfie then two or three. Printed some huge, so I can show it. When the time come, toward the end of the David Jones workshop, I showed it. Well, it does work, make laugh every time.

The most important, from that moment I felt the worry about shaving disappeared and embracing it I did use it to my advantage. Exactly, like the 2000 years old philosophy, wisdom says. And my great grand-mother Paula "from every bad something goods arrises". 

It also gave me a solid "middle" around which I can build the rest. There is a lot more that come on you as you get older, and each time I could show (more then tell only) how I embraced it. Used to mock, to make laugh, to get over it and go farther. a disposable razor.

Then, come my son, "mother, it is not enough what you use, why not also use shaving cream?". 

Denial. Me? Shaving cream? As men? Never! Well, he did bring me a bottle (even not for my birthday I pretend). After looking at it for a few weeks, I caved in, tried it out. 

The result? I found a funny face in the mirror and embraced it. Took a selfie then two or three. Printed some huge, so I can show it. 

When the time come, toward the end of the David Jones workshop, I showed it. Well, it does work, make laugh every time. Look at the previous note for the picture.

The most important, from that moment I felt the worry about shaving disappeared and embracing it I did use it to my advantage. Exactly, like the 2000 years old philosophy, wisdom says. And my great grand-mother Paula "from every bad something goods arrises". 

It also gave me a solid "middle" around which I can build the rest. There is a lot more that come on you as you get older, and each time I could show (more then tell only) how I embraced it. Used to mock, to make laugh, to get over it and go farther.