Make Me Laugh, Capture My Heart

I have always been drawn to people with a sense of humor. I love to laugh! It is my favorite thing. I grew up in a family of funny people. I get my dry sense of humor from my mother, my dark sense of humor from my grandma, and my love of cheesy dad jokes and puns from my dad and brother. We always cracked jokes when we were together, and I don’t think a day ever passed when laughter didn’t fill our home.

When I feel overwhelmed, angered, overly sad, or melancholy, I always turn to the comedians. The news angered me today, and instead of dwelling on the numerous emotions I felt (there might be a blog post about this later), I decided to watch stand-up comedy.

Billy Crystal captured my heart when I was a preteen. I watched When Harry Met Sally, and I fell in love. To this day, it remains at the top of my list of all-time favorite movies. When Harry Met Sally never grows old; every time I watch it, it is like reconnecting with an old friend.

Many scenes in this movie make me laugh, but the paprikash scene especially stands out.

Billy Crystal has a special called 700 Sundays. It is available on HBO, but I’m sure it could also be found on Amazon. I highly recommend this special. I will do my best not to reveal too much about the special because I don’t want to spoil it for anyone who has not seen it.

700 Sundays made me laugh and cry and gave me a more profound respect for the man who captured my heart all those years ago. I am in no way trying to compare myself to Billy Crystal. I might be funny, but I am not stand-up comedian funny. I found many similarities between my story and Billy Crystal’s, which probably explains why this special touched me so deeply.

Crystal starts out his monologue by talking about how he used to use his living room as his stage to make members of his family laugh and how much he loved it. I can remember doing the same. I used to stand on my parent’s coffee table and tell them jokes that more than likely made no sense, but my parents laughed anyway, and I always loved the feeling it gave me. Unlike Billy Crystal, I never made it a career.

Just being my typical goofy, dorky self.

The special opens with Billy Crystal walking through a model of his childhood home. He speaks of the year 2001 and how awful it was. Not only did the September 11th attacks happen that year, but numerous people in his life died. He said, “When a funny person doesn’t want to be funny, that’s a tough place to be.” That quote really resonated with me. I remember not laughing for weeks, possibly months, after my mom died. If you know me, you know that’s not like me at all.

One of my favorite stories he tells is about his family’s new car and the need for it. In regard to the old car that needed to be replaced, he recalled his father talking to it like a man would speak to his wife in the morning, “Come on, baby. Just roll over.”

Crystal speaks of his aunt and shows a picture of her bangs and why she shouldn’t have had them. I laugh because I, too, should never have had bangs, but my mother insisted. I reluctantly share photographic evidence to support my statement…

Hahaha. Terrible bangs that separated in the middle due to my cowlick, an “enthralled” smile, and my lazy eye. Boy, I was a cute kid…

As Billy Crystal continues talking about his eclectic family members, he mentions his Uncle Jack, who would tell him dirty jokes he was far too young to hear. I had to laugh because it reminded me of my dear grandmother, who did the same to me. Not only did she tell me dirty jokes, but she gave me advice I probably should not have heard at eight-years-old, but she told me anyway. I don’t remember much about my grandmother because she died when I was nine, but I do remember this conversation very vividly. She sat me down at the table and handed me a banana, my favorite fruit at the time (It’s oranges, now).

“One day, you’re going to want to get married,” she informed me. “And I have one very important piece of advice for you. Make sure he has big feet!”

I gave her a confused look, and she smiled at me.

“A man with big feet has a big penis.” She said matter-of-factly.

I almost choked on my banana!

My incredibly beautiful, hilarious, and sometimes inappropriate grandmother.

Music played a significant role in Billy Crystal’s life. His uncle worked for a production company that produced Billie Holiday’s song “Strange Fruit.” His dad also worked in the jazz music industry, and Billy Crystal met a lot of jazz musicians as a young boy.

Crystal’s father said to him, “Once you hear the music, you can’t sit still.”

My mother used to tell me I started dancing before I could walk, and to this day, I dance all the time. I love to dance, and I love music, and it has always played a significant role in my life. In addition to Billie Holiday, Crystal speaks of Bill Haley and the Comets, Rosemary Clooney, and the Beatles. I, too, have memories connected to all the aforementioned musicians.

Billy Crystal moves on from music to film. He talks of one that made him want to be a comedian, The Court Jester with Danny Kaye. I have seen this movie several times, and I laugh every single time. It leaves me holding my stomach in laughter and tears streaming down my face, and I have many fond memories of watching it with family and all of us laughing until we can’t breathe. It’s such a funny movie!

Billy Crystal is a huge Yankees fan, and I am not. Haha! I am, however, a huge baseball fan. Crystal was fortunate enough to attend a game as a child. I did not attend a game until I was in my twenties, but I felt like a kid that day, as I do every time I step foot in a baseball stadium. Camden Yards holds a piece of my heart, and if you should ever visit, you will feel me there.

I remember everything about that first game. How could I forget the game that made me fall in love with such a beautiful sport? The bright green grass of the field, the scent of hot dogs, and Adam Jones’ home run. The first home run I witnessed live. I’ll never forget that moment or the feelings it evoked.

The beautiful Camden Yards at Oriole Park!

I used to play baseball with my cousins. I was a decent pitcher, but I struggled with hitting. I remember my dad encouraging me, and one day, at our annual family reunion, my cousin threw the pitch, and I hit a home run! I remember my dad yelling my name, picking me up, and putting me on his shoulders once the game was over. He bragged and told everyone that his daughter hit a home run, and I still smile at this memory because it was just a silly game between cousins that held no merit, but my dad was immensely proud of me, anyway.

I have a similar fond memory with my brother. He would brag to his friends that his little sister could slam dunk. Of course, his friends never believed him because I was only around six or seven and not even 5 feet tall yet. My brother would hand me the basketball, and I would dribble it a few times before my brother put me on his shoulders, and I slammed the ball through the net. It’s no wonder I’m so fond of these two men, and they remain two of my biggest supporters.

There’s a part in the special where the mood becomes somber. Billy Crystal, being the master comedian he is, manages to break through the mood with satire, and there’s another quote that stuck with me…

“Even in your worst pain, it is important to laugh.”

I agree. Laughter heals.

I’m sure many people can relate to Billy Crystal’s stories, but it’s incredibly wonderful when someone whom you have admired can touch on so many things that hold some of your own most precious memories. If I should ever get the chance to meet Mr. Crystal, I would tell him how much his special meant to me and thank him for being one of the biggest contributors to my laughter.

Have you seen 700 Sundays? Do you agree that laughter is important when we’re in pain? What Comedian(s) do you love?

Love & life lessons,

Kristian

Advertisement