Thursday, January 31, 2008

Comedy Set @ Hamilton Assisted Facility (Originally posted July 03, 2006)


Life is special and everyone knows that. No one needs to post a blog about it at 1:45am on a Monday morning after having consumed 3 bottles of Pellegrino mineral water. Having said that, sometimes we forget that life is short and we stress too much. Way too much ... way too much.

Last Saturday I performed comedy in an elderly care center where the patients were Alzheimer's patients. I am familiar with this disease because my grandmother was in the early stages of dimensions and I have gone through the pain of seeing a loved one in distress. But I could always make her laugh, even in her last days (mostly blue material) ... so I thought it would be a good experience because even if no one likes my comedy, I know they like seeing new people visit them.

To my surprise the experience was not bad at all. In fact it was one of the most fun comedy experiences of my life!! My good friend Rishi taped my set and I actually did get some laughs!!!

Before I talk about it, I have to mention that we should be encouraged to visit the elderly (especially if they are our relative, but doesn't matter). In our society, we visit pets in animal shelters, but we never think to visit the elderly who have done nothing more that just get old or have their family abandon them. I love animals and have a cat whom I love soo much, but I also know that humans need love too ... and even more so. I also have to mention that I am not a saint and have been unaware of this problem for most of my life.

I am kind of tired and just wanted to make a point and go to sleep. Anyway seeing the elderly trapped in the home depressed the heck out of me to the point that I just want to live my life to the fullest and have fun.

p.s. Surprisingly I did not have my worst set, thanks to the staff and some patients who were alert and listened to me. I was even heckled by a lively lady who called my jokes "Phoney Baloney" and myself a "son of a bitch" and "fat too"!!! It was one of the funniest moments in my life!! She was a lady in a wheelchair and was escorted out by a few of the workers!! It was sooo crazy because the actual escorting out of the 95 year old woman was more distracting than her heckling. Her heckling was funny as HELL!! All in all it was a great experience and I hope to not stress about life anymore.


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