A Lesson from Carol Burnett
When I was eight years old, I watched the Carol Burnett Show religiously. More than that, my obsession went so far as to watch every TV special of hers that ever aired. I saw various audience members ask her questions in her Q&A segments and I dreamed of someday being one of those audience members to speak with her face-to-face.
Thirty years later, that dream came true.
I couldn’t BELIEVE my good fortune when I saw that my comedy idol was coming to my home town! I was one of the first to secure 2nd row seats to the most amazing opportunity of my “young, hot life.” It just so happened to be around my birthday, so I considered it a gift to myself. It also just so happened to be scheduled for June 2020.
Covid reared its ugly head and the Carol Burnett appearance was postponed, not canceled. I waited every day for years for the announcement to appear that the concert would be rescheduled. And finally, that day came :) On March 29, 2022, I would finally see my idol up-close and in-person.
Naturally, I was an absolute WRECK all day. I had stage fright before but never this badly! Carol Burnett once told her audience, “I always had a fear during Q&A of ‘what if nobody asks a question?’… or worse, ‘what if somebody does?’” I had the very fear of not getting called on to have my question answered… or worse, what if I was called on! There would be hundreds upon hundreds of people in that theater, and only a lucky handful of people would be chosen to have their question answered. I had to decide if I was gutsy enough to keep my hand raised or to just allow the gift of seeing her in-person be enough.
Backing out of an opportune moment due to a temporary spasm of wussiness would never be enough. I’d regret it for the rest of my life. So, when the moment came, I kept my hand raised. I saw every single special and knew the questions the audience typically asked, but I wanted mine to be different. So I thought, why not be honest? Why not ask her a question for which I really wanted an answer?
A kind usher with a microphone noticed my persistence and whispered, ‘I got your back.’ When I raised my hand for what felt like the millionth time, Carol looked in my general direction but not quite at me. So, I assumed she was calling on someone near me. But the usher gave me the microphone! I stood up in a daze as Carol looked right at me and I looked right back at her.
And she broke me.
I collapsed in a fit of gasping giggles and the only thing that could come out of my mouth at first was “Ohhhhhohohoho my gawsshh!” Carol started to laugh. The whole audience started to laugh. That sobered me up enough to actually get my question out, which was:
“Were there ever any moments in your career when gigs were hard to come by? If so, what would you tell yourself to keep yourself motivated?”
Carol smiled at me and told me an incredible story. She said early in her career there came a big break - it was one she had been waiting for for a really long time. She worked hard for it and endured endless auditions and callbacks for it. Finally, it came down to her and one other girl. And the other girl got it. And instead of give up, Carol told herself that in show business, you get your opportunities in turns. This opportunity was the other girl’s turn, but someday, it would be Carol’s turn.
And Carol was right. And she looked right at me and told me that when the times get rough, all I have to do is remember that it may not be my turn yet, but my turn is coming.
I sat down in a daze. My turn is coming. This is something that so many people struggle with in artistic fields, because everything is always so competitive - they give up before their turn even has a chance to arrive. But my turn is coming. Carol Burnett believes it, and so I get to believe it, too. And never give up. :)