Tonight was so fun! A great crowd of supportive folks came out for an improv comedy show with my super fun improv friends, and donated a bunch of money! We had a silent auction with generous donations from local businesses, and our host venue was awesome - my across-the-alley neighbors own a lovely coffee shop in my neighborhood called Dolce Casa Cafe, and as it turns out, it's a great venue for an evening improv fundraiser event! Thank you Ross and Lori! Thank you also to Groupon, Eclecticity, Boca della Verita, Marbles the Brain Store, Brew Camp, Gene's Sausage Shop, Half Acre Brewery, and Thairapy! If you're a local Chicagoan, patronize these places! I am humbled and extremely grateful for the generosity that people show when presented with a good cause - folks were so willing to just hand me their stuff - a case of beer, a $25/$40/$50 gift card, a couple beer paraphernalia items, a soda-making kit...Habitat Haiti is quite a deserving recipient of support!
The idea for tonight's event was born out of my improv group's desire to keep on "playing" together, and seeing if we could do it for a good cause. Sure, maybe we can get some friends to come out and watch us be stupid and give money to a good cause, right? Well, it worked tonight, and I am so thankful!
Improv is a new thing in my life, and it's been great - not only do I have a new group of fun, hilarious friends, but it's quite brain-stimulating and challenging, and beneficial in a way that I didn't know I was missing - laughter is quite stress-relieving and therapeutic! But most of all, I love the philosophy of improv - the first and most important rule is "Yes, and..." You say "yes, and" to everything that a partner throws at you, what the audience feeds you, and whatever comes up during a scene or game. This idea actually applies well in Global Village trips - one must say "yes, and..." to everything that comes their way - "YES, this is a foreign place and I don't know anybody, AND I'll dive in and be open to new and interesting friendships!" "YES, it's excruciatingly hot/the bus is late/my roommate snores/the food is not what I want to eat, AND I'll be flexible and roll with it and learn from this experience!" "YES, the poverty/life circumstances/reality of the partner families is heartbreaking AND I'll continue to be a supporter and an advocate until everyone in the world has a decent place to live."
I'm humbled by tonight, and energized to continue on the journey to Haiti. 48 days!
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