Jolyn Young

I walked into the AA gathering and immediately felt out of place, and not just because I wasn’t an alcoholic. I was hanging out in a new city after dark with one guy I kinda knew and one guy I’d never met. My husband knew neither of these men. The whole situation was very out of character for a rural housewife, but it was just one of those things some of us do to get laughs.

Getting laughs was my top priority, since I was scheduled to open a comedy show that night. And thank the Lord, I got lots of laughs! An absence of laughter won’t stop me from telling jokes, but the overall experience is much more rewarding when the audience is enjoying themselves.

The rec hall was filled to capacity (and probably then some – don’t tell the fire marshal) with good folks who came to enjoy a cheeseburger, the company of friends in recovery, and some jokes. It was a great warmup for later in the month when I taught a memoir writing workshop to another great group of people in a different state.

Same desert environment, though, and once again, I was relieved to get laughs. “Get laughs” was not the direct assignment, but it’s always my goal whenever I leave the house and interact with other humans. I shared memoir writing basics with an enthusiastic group of gals and helped each of them start writing their own story, which was my primary goal for the class. Sharing laughs along the way was just a bonus.

Here’s a joke that doesn’t really feel like a joke because it’s just the truth. Those are the best kind, though, right?

I hope everyone is looking forward to a great spring and at least an okay summer! Just being realistic – summer is a hot, brutal punishment of a season, but spring is pretty fantastic. Green grass, bullfrogs in the pond at night, and wildflowers galore. If you’ll be in northern California in the fall and want to catch me headlining a comedy show for a good cause, stay tuned for more details in the coming weeks. In the meantime, Here’s my latest column over at Western Horseman. Happy spring!