Tuesday January 4th, 2011 - Grand Cayman Island This is the last night of work on a marathon ship run, and I can’t say I’m upset. It’s been my longest run of gigs to date, and I wondered how I’d hold up. I gutted it out and did my time, but now I’m thinking longingly about going home to start working on my projects. Tonight I closed it out with three shows. The first two were decent, but the last one was pulling teeth. The crowd was tired, and I was too. I got off the ship at Grand Cayman and took a long walk through town to get some exercise and sunshine. I overdid it and when I got back to the ship I could barely stand. I shouldn’t have done that on a three show night. I’m learning new things all the time out here. The best way to learn, even though it’s the most difficult, is to make a huge mistake and then see what the consequences are. It’ll put things into perspective in a hurry, and teach a great lesson of what not to do the next time. That’s pretty much what I did with my standup career in clubs, and I’ve made some bad mistakes people still talk about today. That’s just the way it turned out. I never tried to be a boat rocker or maverick, but a few do see me that way. I am still perceived as a flaming lunatic by some, and even if I tried to fight it that’s what they’re going to think. So be it. The ships are a different story. I can’t afford to make the same magnitude of mistakes as I did in the clubs coming up. This is a much more professional atmosphere, and they have a lot more strict and rigid rules than comedy clubs ever did. I’m trying my absolute best to fit in and do my job quietly and without incident. I’m shutting my mouth to avoid trouble. I am noticing significantly more people coming up to tell me they enjoyed my show. I’ll always try to be friendly and thank them, but it is uncomfortable in a way. This is the part of show business that’s never thought about when a person gets in it. Everyone thinks it’s all glamorous, and only single sexy women approach after shows with their room key. That’s the dream part, and sounds great in theory. The reality is, anyone can approach at any time, in any mood. Sometimes they can be drunk and obnoxious, others annoying and bothersome, and even mentally ill. Most times they only want to say they liked the show. I still think it’s very important to let people do that, even if it’s during a meal. I asked to be in this business, so I never complain if someone comes over to say hello, but I do want to be at my best when they do and not have a stalk of broccoli stuck between my teeth. It’s also important to watch what I say, to whom I say it and how loud it’s said. If I have an issue with someone or something on the ship, I have to be extra careful how I mention it, because ears are everywhere. Even if I’m only joking, a passenger doesn’t know that. This is very good training should I ever get anywhere near famous. Everywhere I go on a ship or even in ports, I never know who’s watching so I need to be on my best behavior always. It’s part of the game, and I accept it. The walls have ears, and I need to know that.
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