Girl Power

OK ... the pity party has endeth. A huge shout out to all of you supportive friends (in the flesh and in cyberspace). The support and parallel tales of woe made me feel 211% better ... that and tequila. Better living through tequila! That's what I always say. Besides ... who wants to be around a big sack of sad? Not me, that's who!

Well ... before I even had chance to finish a good sulk (or a Fifth of Cuervo) ... I received a Myspace message from my friend Amy G asking me to do a comedy show on what was, now, last night.

Amy is a fellow comic I met in Maine a few weeks back. She is the butchiest McButchy of lesbian comics and, of this, I know she is proud. She's also cute as a button and funny as hell. Amy invited me to play my first lesbian club date. This particular lesbian club is located in my hometown and that gave the gig a whole prodigal daughter "Circle of Life" completing itself feeling after last week's parental fiasco.

Since, at the time, I was a big jelly donut filled with hate for all things related to testosterone -- those being my father, nasty boy comics and the crowds who love them ... I said YES, YES, YES Amy ... take me to the girl club promised land.

Perhaps having not completely learned my lesson the week before, I decided to up the ante on this particular performance by inviting some High School girlfriends I had not seen in 15 years. These girls didn't even know I did comedy, and I am betting the only girl clubs they frequent involve scrap-booking and elementary school governance.

But I said ... "what the hell ... there's no chance they'll be able to come on five days notice. Besides, there's no way they will want to go to a lesbian comedy show ..."

Well shut my mouth -- They could and they did. And thanks to all of them ... I got my groove back!

We all met for dinner before the show and I have to say it felt like maybe 15 months had passed, maybe ... but certainly not a decade and a half. We instantly slipped into a comfortable groove -- catching up on kids, jobs and relationships and laughing over funny memories. Suddenly I remembered that these were the gals who saw me through many hilarious episodes of High School drama and hi-jinx that are now mentally set to a horrible sound track featuring REO SpeedWagon, Journey ... and George Michael. I still get a little misty over Careless Whispers. Its like he was singing to me all those years ago ... guilty feet having no rhythm and all that. But I digress.

After dinner we hit the show. A room full of about 80 women who could bench press me while slurping a Zima with the other hand. Not my regular crowd.

Amy opened the show I took the stage with my set and more than a little stage fright ... and the gals ... they laughed! They laughed in the "with me" vs. "at me" way I so needed. I had an absolute blast.

At the end of my set - Amy called me a MILF ... and who doesn't like to hear that?!!! I consider it my seal of lesbo approval!

The other comics were hilarious and I had a great time laughing until my face hurt with the only girls in the room carrying purses and wearing heels and eye shadow.

It was a great night -- everything came together perfectly and I remembered why I do comedy after all these years. As it says on Amy G's Myspace page ... "The shortest distance between two people is laughter." And so it is.

There is nothing more that I love more than laughing together with friends ... both new and old. Friends are the family of your choosing and in so many ways, they can compensate for the shortcomings of your birth families. Because you've chosen each other, you know far better how to nurture and lift one another up when its most needed.

I am really, really grateful for all the wonderful friends in my life ... particularly all the great women I count in my circle of chosen family.

As the great philosopher Sister Sledge once said ... "We are family ... I got all my sisters and me ... "

And thanks to all the sisters ... I got my groove back ;) And, as the Fonz might say ... Ayyyyyyyyyyyyyeeeeeeeeeee