Three Things to Remember in an
Economic Downtourn
I was performing on an outdoor stage years ago at a comedy festival. Part of our payment came from passing the hat at the end and often we could do quite well on contributions since the crowds were often upwards of 500 people.
Following my first show I spoke with a woman who jokingly asked me if I wanted to donate the money I had just made to help her replace the hot water heater that had just unexpectedly burst and flooded her basement while she was on vacation. I did feel some sympathy for her situation ... but not quite that much. After she left, however, I got an idea that I decided to experiment with for my second performance.
I performed my usual show, only after collecting donations at the end I announced to the audience that I was going to give someone in the crowd a chance to win all the money I had just received. I said that anyone could win the money - all they would have to do is come up in front of the crowd and give a 30 second speech on behalf of their plan or dream, describe how they would use the cash and then the audience themselves would vote for the most worthy recipient.
At least 100 hands instantly shot into the air so I selected 20 people at random and invited them up to the stage. They stood in a long line, men, women and children. I started at one end and handed the microphone to a little boy who shouted out, "I think I should get the money because if you gave it to me I could get a lot of candy!" Everyone laughed and I felt the delight of having tried a new idea and I relished all the fun that was about to come from these twenty volunteers contesting for the cash.
But then something unexpected happened. One by one the microphone was passed along and instead of getting funnier, the crowd grew more and more silent as each individual, some obviously extremely nervous from being in front of an audience, took the risk of speaking about their cause, charities they volunteered for, organizations they believed in. Not a single personal request was mentioned. Pleas were made for the homeless, the hungry, single mothers and non-profits with real vision. We went down the line. I was choking back tears by this time. Many in the audience were not so restrained.
We came to the last participant. A blue-collar worker in overalls who had perhaps never spoken in public before in his life quietly began telling us about his son who had a herniated disc in his back, had been out of work for months and was just several hundred dollars short the money he needed for an operation so he could get back to work and support his family.
His cause was not any greater than all the other people on stage, but I can tell you that no one else who spoke that day had more love for their cause than this man had for his son, nor did anyone speak of their vision as specifically as this man described exactly what his son needed, exactly how this would help and the good it would bring to his family.
The audience unanimously rewarded his courage, his love and his simplicity by voting him as the deserving recipient of their donations that day. And if any of us are wondering how to make it through the current economic downturn, we could do well to remember that it is always the upturn of the spirit that will lead us through. Take the risk, keep it it simple, and speak about what you truly love.
Best Reactions of 2008
Here they are! The best hidden reactions to the World's Funniest Waiter from all of this year's hidden camera clips, all in one place for your enjoyment.
Quotable
"When I was little my grandfather one Christmas gave me a box of broken glass. He gave my brother a box of Band-Aids, and said, "You two share."
Steven Wright
Don't miss this month's
Hidden Camera Video Clip
of The World's Funniest Waiter in action.
Rick Lewis has been entertaining and inspiring audiences for the last 30 years. The success of The World's Funniest Waiter over the years is based on clean, interactive comedy and high-level circus skills.
Total Event Success in 3 Courses
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