One my favorite things about what I do is answering children’s questions after a performance. The younger children tend to want to tell me which part of my show they liked. ‘I liked when you told the story about the crab eyes!’, ‘I think you’re funny!’, ‘I have a cat.’ However, the older children have other concerns. ‘How old are you?!’ (Notice the exclamation point.) and ‘How tall are you?!’ (again, exclamation point.) ‘Are you married?’ (There is no exclamation point on this one. More a feeling that there can be no way anyone would ever marry you because you’re such an enormous goof.)
But my favorite question is, ‘How do you make a living?’ I should be offended. What do they think I’ve been doing for the last 50 minutes!!! Instead, I think it’s a great teachable moment. How do I make my living? By doing the things I love! Every week I go to schools, make children laugh, act like an idiot, and people pay me money. What could be better than that?
My father was forced by his father to work the family business. Dad was very talented. He could have done a lot of different things, but instead, he kept my Grandfather’s business going. Why? Because he had to. I thank my Father every day. He instilled in me the idea that I could be whatever I wanted. Yes! It takes hard work. I can’t rest on any laurels. But the benefits of doing what you love are unfathomable! I love teaching that lesson to children.