Entertainers “play the room” onstage – comedians and musicians especially – discerning cues and clues, making the next move most likely to go over with the crowd. As the saying goes, know your audience.
Karaoke bars are an easy example. If everyone’s singing country tunes, it might not be the best time to break out that Sex Pistols selection.
When I was a trial lawyer, “the room” was those jurors in the box, and/or that judge on the stand. Trial work was a dynamic environment with many moving parts, and the vibe coming off the fact-finders was mostly subtle – a quiet snort here, a shift in the seat there. They have been warned/trained to wear their poker faces. As the attorney, you have to tune in, and pay attention.
I tried my hand at stand-up comedy for a while, and later I sang jazz music with “Tammy & The Bachelors.” It’s much more obvious when you’re killing on those gigs, and when you’re not. Laughter and applause good; silence bad.
Now I’m not a religious person, but I think I am a spiritual one. I believe in the inter-connectedness of all things, and at least some amount of order in chaos. When I’m feeling something was fated or meant to be, like making a certain choice, or meeting a certain person, I feel intervention, not necessarily divine, from what I just call “The Universe.”
I don’t believe in “signs” like end of days kind of stuff, but I do believe The Universe, like an audience, offers us clues, sometimes subtle, sometimes not. If we are open, we might acknowledge and comprehend them, and alter our behavior accordingly.
As I write this, the world is very different than it was a month ago. My 2020 travel plans are in shambles. I am hunkered down in a place I’ve never been, yet am unable to go out and explore and tell you all about it. When I arrived here two weeks ago, facing social isolation for a protracted and indefinite period of time, my fight or flight response was tripped. Unable to fight something I cannot use my senses to perceive, the flight option was coming on strong.
I decided to drive back to Washington. The very same day of my decision, my friends Lynne & Jerry headed out in their RV from California to Nevada for their ride-it-out place, not a great distance, but they broke down at the campground stop sign. Over the course of days they described being unable to get roadside assistance, moving out of their home and into a motel room, and delays in processing insurance claims and warranties. They finally packed up the car and headed to a safe place in Texas with friends.
Based on Lynne & Jerry‘s experiences, I decided maybe driving 2,500 miles was not the best idea in the middle of an apocalypse.
A week went by, and I began to toy with the idea again. That day, my friend Ward was driving his motorhome a mere 253 miles when the engine overheated, and he had to be towed home. Luckily he and his wife Gail live in a sticks and bricks. Who knows how long the repair will take. It was the AC compressor, which blew the fan belt. I knew all about that one, as it has happened to me.
Come to think of it, I have dealt with my fair share of mechanical issues. It’s the nature of the experience – not a question of if, but when.
And, I live with a compromised immune system, which makes it pretty inconvenient right now to commune with passing motorists, tow truck drivers, motel clerks, mechanics, and restaurant personnel for every meal.
Okay, Universe, okay. I hear you. Message received.
I’m sitting tight. Hope you are too.
This Post Has 10 Comments
The neighborhood is very quiet.
Stay safe!
As full-timers that happened to be in Arizona when the “craziness” started, we understand the uncertainty of moving on. We’re staying put until we can’t stand the temperatures. We hope when we reach that point the is still somewhere open that we can go.
I’ve been thinking about you and am glad to hear that you are sitting tight. We are, too. Our caravan adventure has been cancelled, my water aerobics class is cancelled, the streets are quiet, and the weather has warmed up enough to go for long walks. Fortunately we still have restaurants that are doing take-out for those days we don’t feel like eating our own cooking!!
Stay healthy and keep us posted. Hugs.
Thank you Tammy! We loves ya 😁 we want you to stay healthy 💋💜
I am high risk like you Tammy. I find it hard to stay cooped up in my sticks and bricks. I’m sure if we were out on the road I would be having anxious fits. Stay safe, stay healthy, and if you need anything close to New Mexico, I’m sure that we can help.
So glad you’re staying put. We (not the royal “we” but the Gary and me “we”) want you to stay healthy so that we get to see you again!
Tammy! You are such a rebel but a smart one. Thanks for staying put. I would have loved to take off and go somewhere, but back home was not an option, we have no home there anymore, and our RV is our home. Instead we hunkered down in Texas about a 1/2 hour from family with a brand new baby girl who arrived three weeks early. So, here we are and we have booked up to two months, and can stay longer. I hope not but who knows. This is a well written piece. I love your style. THANKS FOR SHARING!!!
Glad you are in a safe place. Plans are made to be changed – on this we agree. Love reading your blog. Stay safe and healthy.
Good to hear you are continuing to maintain a healthy continuum of situational uneasiness and rational decision making. From my last correspondence, things here in Ocala, FL have only continued to escalate in terms of new infections and, sadly, deaths. But, the hope that things will downturn everywhere continue to be strong.
We continue to sit things out in a quiet, safe 55+ park that is about 80% full of like-minded individuals – keep low and slow!
I’m watching your future travel path with interest, as we had planned to traverse the east coast this summer to DC, but, now that doesn’t look doable. But, who knows, things may turn favorable once we get some time behind the virus curve and emerge into the sunshine once again!
Stay wary, sane and above all, safe! Your uneasy, suspicious approach to your surroundings will serve you well to remain healthy.
Take care, stay well.
Omg, I can’t believe I am just seeing this, but given that you described our situation in March/April perfectly, reading blogs was not what I was doing then! We are so relieved to be settled now in our summer volunteer gig, but still dealing with the aftermath of those repairs. In addition to the month-long cracked engine head, we then replaced our 3rd Oasis water heating pump, and had a day of routine maintenance before coming here. Then we worked with Cummins to correct our warranty start date (it had been started 10 months before we bought it), so that our engine shop could submit the warranty claim on the portion of expense the extended warranty didn’t pay. Fingers still crossed on the outcome of that. Whew! All that to say you were wise to stay put then, and I’m sending you all the universe’s good juju for the remainder of your travel home! Take care, Lynne (& Jerry)