I'm a big chump . . .

I missed a show yesterday. No real excuse really - Andrea and I are trying to put a bid down on a house, and yesterday we had about six hours of unexpected meetings come up. They all had to do with money, lawyers, septics tanks, loans, and other pleasant things. So we both pretty much skipped work for the day and sat through meetings.

Well, about 9 PM last night, a sudden, sickening feeling stabbed into my stomach as I realized that I'd forgotten all about doing a poetry reading in Knoxville, IA over the lunch hour. I'd set it up about two or three weeks ago, and even though it was only a fifteen minute show, as far as I can remember, it's the first show I've ever missed in more than ten years of performing.

Now, granted, there was a show five or six years ago that I missed as well. A young lady called me up and asked me to do some comedy for a class reunion in a certain Iowa town that I won't mention. I agreed, and she said she'd be in touch with me as the date got closer. All the info I had on her was her first name, the date, and the name of the town she was in.

Long story short, she never called me back - until the day after the reunion, when she asked me why I'd missed. I told her she'd given me no real info on the show, her full name, or her phone number, and she'd never called me back. I told her that I had no real desire to drive around the town looking for a reunion on the day of the show, and she quickly apologized for forgetting to call me back. Other than that incident, I don't think I've ever missed a show.

It was something I'd taken quite a bit of pride in, especially after hearing others tell me about how speakers/entertainers had burned them in the past by being late, canceling at the very last minute, or not showing up at all. In fact, I've gone to great lengths to make it to everything I've been booked for.

Once I agreed to speak for a youth retreat on a saturday morning, do a stand-up show five hours away on Saturday night, and then be back at the retreat to speak on Sunday morning. So esstenially, I spoke, jumped in the car and drove five hours, spoke again, did an hour of improv with friends, jumped back in the car around midnight and drove another five hours, got to the retreat, slept for two hours, then got up and spoke.

I agreed once to speak for a huge outdoor worship service in Sioux Falls, SD on a sunday morning. About a month after I'd made the arrangements, my brother announced he was getting married the night before, about six hours away, and wanted me to stand up with him. I agreed, went to the wedding, stayed for the reception, got in the car about 10:30 PM, and got to Sioux Falls at about 5:30 in the morning. I slept for about an hour and a half, and then headed to the service and spoke.

I once got severely sick, had a bad fever, lost my voice and had to spend two days straight out in the sun running a fundraiser for the youth group. And when I say I lost my voice, it was gone. All I had was a thin rasp. I'd agreed to do some stand-up for a seeker service in Des Moines on what was the worst day of my illness, and so for about ten hours before the show I just chugged and chugged cups of hot tea with honey. I made it to the show and performed, although it was what I would consider one of my worst shows ever, but I made the obligation.

So the fact that I missed a show yesterday - a show that was about twenty-five minutes from my apartment - for no other reason than I just forgot, I feel absolutely horrible. I called and apologized profusely, and the lady I talked to was very nice about the whole thing. I promised to make it up to them at any time, and she said that was nice. But I still can't get over the sick feeling. My perfect streak is broken . . .

This Friday night I'm the opening act at a Serve Our Youth fundraiser banquet for Des Moines' own Dolph Pulliam. I'm going to be very early for the show . . .

Till next time,
Jason