Good Morning America -
Wake Up and Smell the Fantasy
One year the well-known TV program Good Morning America produced a feature on Canada. They filmed for weeks across the country, including in Victoria, the capitol of British Columbia and a close neighbor to Vancouver, where I was living at the time.
The producers of the program heard about my act from a local casting director and contacted me, asking if I would be interested in being featured in a short spot with Joan Lunden and Charlie Gibson. I enthusiastically accepted and we created a fun bit where I actually served tea to Joan and Charlie from a six-foot unicycle on the waterfront of Victoria's inner harbor. (This month's video.)
Later that year I was back in Victoria for a street performers' festival. I was in a popular local cafe having breakfast with my family prior to my shows and I overheard a young man behind the juice bar excitedly describing something to a customer. Listening more carefully I heard him talking about a performer, and the performer was me. He was going on in extremely glowing terms about this incredible street performer, describing my tall unicycle routine and telling this woman about my appearance on Good Morning America.
At that point I would have needed a construction crew to re-fit the doorway of the restaurant before I could have gotten my swollen head out the exit. Hearing this praise second-hand, however, wasn't enough. I could only think how much fun it was going to be to walk up to the juice bar, order something, and watch the fellow realize that his hero was right there in the restaurant.
Full of confidence and pride I walked casually up to the counter. The young man was chopping vegetables, said hello and asked me what I wanted before really looking up. I paused, waiting for him to make the connection. "Yes," I said, "I'll have a carrot juice." He looked up at me then, smiled politely and told me how much it was. I slowly took out my wallet, waiting for the magic moment. I paid him and he said, "I'll just bring it over to you in a minute." This is normally the point at which the customer would say, "Thank you," and sit back down. Instead I stood there in front of him still waiting for the light to go on. It didn't. In no way did he register that I was the person he had just been speaking of. The awkward moment lasted for five or ten seconds and then I turned to sit back down. The same person who was just singing my praises as a performer now thought that I was some kind of weirdo in person.
We are fascinated with celebrities in our culture and many of us have a fantasy of becoming popular, well-known or respected. What we don't understand is that being popular is not a personal dynamic. Popularity has nothing to do with others knowing who we really are or appreciating us as a human being; it is driven by a confusion between human relationship and the cultural dynamics of status and fame.
It was easy to fit through the door on my way out that day. It left me with a deep appreciation of the real relationships in my life, and a good story about the day I was somebody and nobody at the very same time.
The Funniest Waiter
Serves Tea on
"Good Morning America"
Quotable
"Television, a medium. So called, because it is neither rare nor well done."
Ernie Kovacs
Past Newsletter Topics
Kindness Heals Everyone
Get Out of Jail Free
3 Things to Remember in an Economic Downturn
If You Love Something ...
Does Your Success Need an Audience?
Perfectionism or Professionalism?
What Doesn't Kill You ...
Ever Had One of Those Days?
The Power of Humor and Relaxation
Rick's Agent Friendly Site
Don't miss this month's
Monthly Laugh on Video
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.
