One night in New York
I am hugely remiss in posting this. OK, not in posting this but in taking so long to post this.

On June 9, I had the distinct and unalloyed pleasure of emceeing a benefit for Interstitial Cystitis at the Sidewalk Cafe in New York City. My brother-from-another-mother Paul and his lovely wife Ana set up the benefit and were trusting enough to allow me to stand up in front of people I don't know and try to connect.

It wasn't easy. But it was one of the best nights of my life. I had the chance to find some wonderful music utterly new to me and to meet the amazingly talented Jake Armerding of whom I have posted before. Not easy because getting up in front of a crowd and trying to be entertaining when I have next to zero expereience at it, is tough. If I had ginned up the nerve to try my hand at standup at the hundreds of Chuckle Huts that have open mike nights, it would have been easier.
Not to mention, IC is a delicate condition. I'm not sure that those who suffer really want to listen to someone making jokes about ... allow me to quote ... "(A) bladder and pelvic pain disorder effecting millions of men, women and children throughout the world. With symptoms of frequency, urgency, and/or pain,(which) diagnosis can be elusive." Just damn. This breaks my heart. There are afflictions which have a kind of public face, even breast cancer is now in the ken of the general public and there's little hesitation, I think, for those who have it to talk about it. But IC afflicts in ways that are not even a little part of polite conversation. No wonder diagnosis is elusive if it's something that one would rather not discuss. So, with a tear held back - because I detest the idea that anyone would have to suffer in silence - I try to be entertaining on stage. I came up with one bit that even now I know I didn't perform very well. Imagine Abbott and Costello's "Who's On First" with a doctor presenting a diagnosis of "I see" and you'll have the flavor of it. I am appreciative of the kind response of the crowd to my fumbling effort at humor.

Oh, and of course, the first time I actually say "Interstitial Cystitis," I botch it. D'oh!

My next post will delve into the artists and why you should support them. I seem to have yakked about myself enough in this post that I think the artists deserve some real bloggy love all to themselves.
(to be continued....)