New activity: IMPROV at Mic Drop

We used to think that improv was like the show “Whose line is it Anyway”, in which audience participants give a topic to the comedians and they do a little skit on it. But nowadays, it seems every comedy club calls itself improv and Mic Drop in Plano is no different. One thing that set this club apart for us was that there is no minimum drink or food order unlike most other clubs we’ve been to. That actually made us want to order something so we each asked for a cup of hot chocolate. Then we made the mistake of looking at the food menu and saw a heated chocolate chip cookie topped with ice cream and M&Ms  and that drew us in like a magnet.

After sharing that decadent desert, it was time for the comedians to come on. There were three warm-up comedians, the first of which was awful. The second one was pretty good and may have a career ahead of him, and the third was also awful although some of the audience seemed to find him funny. The headliner that we thought was going to be there wasn’t and was substituted by Gene Moore. He, however, was funny and kept the audience, including us, laughing until the end. All in all, it was a decent night, but unless there’s a comedian we want to see we probably will not be going back too soon.

LEARNING CENTER – LEARNING ABOUT IDIOSYNCRACIES

A lot has been said about the benefits of being your own person…of owning your likes and dislikes, thoughts and actions. After all, if we can’t be ourselves, who can we be? (As they say, everyone else is already taken.) So, if we are to “own” ourselves, we must own up to our idiosyncrasies.

An idiosyncrasy is often defined as a unique feature that someone may exhibit. When observed, others may think of it as strange, odd or a peculiarity of that particular person. Most people have one or two (or more) idiosyncrasies – and oh how interesting are those of celebrities. The actress Megan Fox has a fear of flying so her quirky way of overcoming that fear is to believe that she cannot possibly die while listening to a Britney Spears song. So, every time she’s in a plane, she’s wearing earphones and blasting out Britney’s music. And Jennifer Lopez – well she doesn’t go anywhere without her own toilet seat. She fears a germ attack and needs to protect her derriere, which is insured for $27 million!

So for “I” month, we decided to think about our own idiosyncrasies. Barbara feels her most significant one is that when she is driving and singing along to the radio, if a song comes on with the word “die”, “death” or anything to do with that subject, she cannot sing the word. So “I’d die for you” becomes “I’d cry for you.”  A bit like Megan’s reasoning.  Laura’s odd quirk is the personification of some inanimate things (like mahjongg tiles), which often drives others to raise their eyebrows, but is a fun habit for her.

Idiosyncrasies may help you think clearer, be calmer or stay focused. But they usually always allow you to be yourself and follow your inner voice. As long as they are not causing you or others harm, embrace your quirks!