Call him quazy, quacky, quack-a-doodle-do or a big, fat quack, but Raymond “RJ” James says that “life is all that it is quacked up to be!”
“Life may be filled with the unexpected, unwanted, unknown and unforeseeable, at its worst. But it can also be brimming with the unexpected, unwanted (because we didn’t know we needed it), and unforeseeable (because we could not have imagined it for ourselves)!’ - Raymond James
At four years old “RJ” lost both of his parents in a multi-automobile accident in early January 1969. He was taken in by a great-aunt for several years until her passing and finally landed in foster care for the duration of his youth. And although this “displaced feeling” young man longed for more stability and a healthy family environment, it was his passion for comedy that helped him cope.
RJ admits that he fervidly watched reruns of his favorite television comedy series and late-night talk shows (even whilst being yelled at to turn the t.v. off!) and managed to pay attention to every detail of the jocose skits, right down to the comic’s timing, body language, and hand gestures. He loved the physicality of some comedians and the storytelling abilities of others. He spent countless hours creating original material and monologues. He used witty banter and impromptu impersonations to get out of any school-related mishaps and misunderstandings, oftentimes gaining the much-appreciated respect from his classmates, teachers, and high school authorities.
By the time college rolled around, the budding comic began performing in campus hot spots, dive bars and eventually received an invitation to appear at a local comedy club. There he met a fellow student who apparently held the key to his heart. “Melanie laughed at everything that ever came out of my mouth...how could you not love that!” Together, RJ and Mel navigated the late into the night shows and early a.m. class schedules and graduated “modestly in the middle of their class,” recalls RJ. Following graduation, the couple married in a Vegas chapel after a “Saturday night, gut-busting gig.”
For over thirty years the loving duo has spent much of their time on the road. ”I keep our life funny and she manages the money...I wouldn’t have it any other way!” exclaims RJ. “Melanie is my home, she provides a safe place to land, and the stability I wanted as a kid. We travel together, play together, work together and get through life’s trials and tribulations, together.”
Their trials and tribulations include the loss of a child, miscarriages and infertility, bouts of serious illness, and many of the same issues we have all experienced. But, through it all, RJ and Mel have found comfort in laughter. They share and maintain their sense of joy with audiences large and small and believe that in the end, life is all that it is quacked up to be!
Like RJ and Mel, have you muddled through difficulties and loss? Have you developed coping skills beneficial to your recovery process? Are you able to recognize the light at the end of a very long tunnel? This winter season, I hope you will take the time to get out to see a comedy show or catch a funny movie. Reconnect with others, laugh together, be together and share your experiences together...because together, life is most-definitely all that it is quacked up to be!
Comments