By Leighann Lord
One might get the impression that I travel around the world not to do stand-up comedy, but to meet and be photographed with adorable dogs. Alas, that’s just an extremely cool bonus. I was on tour to entertain military personnel stationed in Europe. The folks at USAG Schinnen set the bar pretty high, not just with Jazzebelle, but with their warm and generous hospitality. On our first night, MWR Host Melissa made us two huge pans of delicious lasagna.
We devoured the first and put the second in the refrigerator on our tour bus. Oh, did I mention we had a tour bus? Just when I thought the military couldn’t top travel by Black Hawk helicopter, they broke out a tour bus for us to roam around Europe in. My diary entry for that day: “I feel like a rock star!”
The bus had four beds, one bath, refrigerator, sink, comfy seats, a couch and a driver; a young man with from East Germany with blond dread locks named, Ricko. While not hard on the eyes, Ricko strongly favored one of the bad guys in “Taken.”
Our first show was a blast. It was my honor and delight to meet the two folks in command (at the time) at Schinnen: Lt. Colonel Fern Sumpter and her right hand, Command Sargent Major Mary Brown. I am in awe of military women. I feel a kinship with women who choose to work in a male dominated arena. I would’ve loved to have talked to them about their careers and the challenges they faced rising through the ranks, but I contented myself with making sure I got a photo. There’s just something about a woman who knows her way around an M16.
© 2010 Leighann Lord
A very funny lady on the stage and on the page, stand-up comedian Leighann Lord pens a weekly humor column with topics ranging from the personal to the political, from the silly to the sophisticated. Reminiscent of a modern day Erma Bombeck (famed nationally syndicated humor columnist), a fan dubbed Leighann, “The Urban Erma” and the name stuck. It’s a fun, fast read that leaves you laughing, or at least wondering why we don’t have a comprehensive mental health care plan. Follow Leighann on Twitter and be a fan on Facebook.
SPECIAL ENGAGEMENT
Leighann Lord will be performing with the legendary Franklyn Ajaye at Attention Span Comedy at Gotham Comedy Club on Wednesday, August 18, as part of the New York Underground Comedy Festival. This is the show for people who love smart comedy and comedians who don’t dumb it down. A part of the proceeds from this event will go to Literacy Partners, Inc., a not-for-profit organization that provides free community-based adult and family literacy programs.
