A Little Bit of Nothing in New Orleans

I have started, deleted and restarted this version of the Red Boots & a Smile blog I bet a half a dozen times or more. Sometimes it’s just hard to be creative. Sometimes it’s tough to draw from all the thoughts that run through my head and narrow it down to just one. Sometimes I just have nothing, nada, blank. Should I be funny or profound? Should I report about my stay here in New Orleans or just life on the road in general? Perhaps a story about me being an original Bigfoot Hunter would be enjoyable for you to read. But here I am at a desk in a hotel room with nothing.

It’s raining outside so walking around the Big Easy would be miserable. I hate getting wet by the rain when all I really want to do is have fun. There are things I could do while here though even in the rain but at this point I just need to get ready for the show I have tonight. This town remains one of my favorite places to visit. The history, the fun, and the ghosts that haunt every nook and cranny make for an exciting weekend each time I am here. If only I had more time.

I could write about how hungry I am becoming and would love a hamburger or Cajun food of some kind. Perhaps I will grab a bite to satisfy the craving I have. Yesterday I had shrimp and some beignets as I always do here. I usually have the crawfish but they are out of season so the one item I was looking forward to the most is still in water waiting for me to return in the spring. So today I will just have to settle for some pulled pork in the hotel lounge.

Today is just a day to work and get ready for the show. I had enough of a “day off” yesterday. Got to keep my nose to the grindstone (which by the way never made much sense to me) and get stuff done. Always stuff to do and get accomplished. I sometimes feel guilty taking a break but that feeling never lasts too awfully long. I am not sure if I would ever have enough time to see and do all I would like to do here in New Orleans. Theirs is just so much here.

But alas, I will leave here tomorrow on a plane back to Florida having left things here undone. They will just have to wait until I come back and I will be back. This is the cool benefit of doing what I do. Being a comedian has afforded me the opportunity to visit places and do things that I would have otherwise never seen or done. So as I conclude this little blog about nothing, I sit here in my hotel room grateful for what I have gotten to do and this job that allows me to do it.

NFL: Where Dreams become Reality

The first NFL game of the season was last night and this weekend we will all be glued to our televisions watching game after game as a long awaited season gets started. Many, I will even say most, of us will be watching just for the pure joy of the game. Others will watch because their spouse makes them and still others just to keep up with their fantasy football teams. Whatever the reason, it’s the ultimate struggle of strength and will to achieve victory. Every week each team pursues their goal to get to the playoffs and ultimately fulfilling their dream of playing in the Super Bowl. If you have ever suited up in a peewee league or even in the back yard, you have dreamed of playing in that ultimate battle and received the championship trophy. Of course you are always on the winning team. Why dream about playing in it if you are going to dream of winning it. That’s just silly to dream of something and then just shortchange your dream by not achieving the ultimate goal. Dream big or just don’t dream at all.

I remember as a kid playing in the family football game. I would be on one side while my cousin and best friend I had as a child, would play on the other. We did this just so on every other play he and I would “fight” just like they would during those Sunday afternoon professional games. To us it was the ultimate game, our National Championship, our Super Bowl but the odd thing about those gridiron battles, I don’t remember who won a single game. It was for the love of the game and just to have fun that we played. I do however, believe those games helped establish what accomplishing dreams is all about and I think if you ask the pros they will say the same thing. In spite of the work, effort and even the sweet it is supposed to be fun. No one dreams of things that aren't any fun. You don’t wake up excited to tell about the awesome dream of a root canal you just had and can’t wait to fulfill it. Dreams are fun.

Those early games also taught me that, if I want to achieve my dream, make it a reality, it takes effort. All I knew as a child of what I wanted to do as a grown-up was perform. I have always been a ham. I just didn't know how to achieve that dream so I tried a variety of efforts until I landed where I am today, a National touring comedian. I am not sure my cousin Paul knew what he wanted in those days either, but today he owns a very successful business in Huntington, WV, even winning awards for his efforts.  Those early days molded us into guys that know what it’s like to have a passion for what we want to do. They taught us to do all we can to make our dreams real even when there is a little struggle because those battles never last too long.

So, as I watch football all weekend I’m going to see dreams becoming reality then think of my own as it continues to unfold before my very eyes.

FOOTBALL

Today begins a long awaited day for many people. Today is the first Saturday of college football season. Even the most casual of football fans look forward to this day and will make this an all day event. Hor d'oeuvres finger foods, and grills will be fired up keeping the football watchers well fed. Refrigerators are full of pop, beer and various of beverages to stay hydrated during the many hours of gridiron battles. Then there are those families that struggle over which game to watch so they have a different game on each TV in the house with the one exception (these kids have to have something to watch in order to not get in trouble).

Fans go crazy when this season hits. They paint their faces, wear a team jersey and exchange their fine china for football shaped dipping bowls for the chips. Never leaving the comfort of home, we root for our favorite teams all the while turning out homes into giant tailgating parties. This is the time of year where families and friends get together to celebrate the ability to keep score as they cheer their team to a surefire win. However, on occasion our team comes up short and cleaning up after such a game makes the task hard to complete.

All this talk of football calls my mind back to my youth. When I was a kid I played in Jr. High school on the community league and we lost every single game. We were the Bears and how we growled at the beginning of each game. We were ready. We were winners. We were champions. During the game that’s how I played each game but to no avail. But these weren't my fondest football game memories. Those are the ones apart from the organized team. The most fun I had was playing in the field down the street in my neighborhood.

It wasn't really a field. Our football field was the backyards of several houses that were aligned perfectly, almost begging for us to play.  These were the best times. My brother and I would meet up with all the neighborhood boys take a couple footballs and head to our field. It didn’t matter to us if it was rainy or snow on the ground, we would play. Many a time I would return home covered in mud, wet and on occasion in need of a band-aid.  We kept score and there was a definite winner and looser but we didn’t care, we got to play.

No protection, no refs, no stripes on the field, just boys having fun playing a game the whole country loves. Now, none of us who played in that field went on to play in college. So no cameras ever caught us make the “play of the game” but we didn't care. We were all winners on that field, because we played for the love of the game. We played and not once was there a dispute on where to spot the ball or if it was touchdown or not. We just played.

This is how I approach my comedy career and how I suggest you approach yours. It’s for the love of the game. I’m just going to play.