Aathhumorvoice September 2015 Our Philly Cheesesteak of a Conference Inside
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
aathhumorvoice September 2015 Our Philly Cheesesteak of a Conference Inside By Cheri Campbell this issue If you were with us in Philly, then you 3 Beth Usher’s know what a happy success Stayin’ Alive: Your Keynote brought Brain on Humor was at the Philadelphia Penn’s down the house Landing Hilton, May 28-30! If you weren’t able to join us, then you may additionally be eating 4 Member Spotlight your heart out as I elaborate on our feast of friends, fun, and fabulous ideas at 5 Joyce Saltman: our sumptuous yearly gathering. Lifetime Acheivement Yo . Honoree “We” (aka mostly, Herr Capitan Chipperoni Lutz (left) The Imperial Senior Chair AATH Remembers of all Lofty Chairs) started out months ago…well at least two, making plans 6 for the AATH Spectacular 2015. This hoagie roll of a foundation, potentially 7 Peace is a family tainted by some misdirection from our previous bakers, was miraculously affair risen to a golden toast by our new manager Kathy Velasco and her sous chef, Michele. Like Keebler elves, they managed every detail small and large 8 Research projects to perfection. And got up at three in the morning to make the donuts as well. presented at Though we blew our budget there, the happy-sized, facility rich, cheerful Hilton added ocean water and a Philly relaxfest next door to the recipe. conference Nobody was heard to ask, “Where’s the beef.’ The juicy line-up of keynotes, breakouts and jammers was nutritious and delicious. Thursday evening’s appetizer with actual pre-appetizers (@ $6 each for those of you wondering, “Where the blazes does our registration fee go?”) was jam-packed with laughter yoga that ‘did the body good,’ stories, headbands, improv, and ’licious music-making that urged an operatic Amy Robbins to declare her love for Melissa Mork, “because you have teeth.” Not surprising, since at an AATH conference, love and laughs are always in the air, for so many reasons … I’m a sucker for red noses, myself. 9 Humor Starting out with Avish Parashar’s ‘Ding Happens’ we were tantalized from our first Academy Grads bite into asking, “Yes, and…?” while thinking “Better not Back,” laughing all the way. Our happy get a rap sandwich was piled high with lessons learned from cartoons, Humpty Dumpty, Energizer Bunny, the elephant ninja in the room and comedy warriors who taught us to tame our monkey mind, seize a Level II Projects miraculous life, not have our day ruined, enjoy 50 succulent shades of play and lose weight eating 10 our cheesesteak of hilarity while laughing. 11 Your glasses? On Our healthy mind platter was piled high, from our now jolly hippocampus; therapeutically your head! transcending adversity, age and sourpickle bosses through therapeutic humor into playful neural pathways all over our conscious and unconscious humor mind map. 12 Under new management Whew! Time to wash down this feast with a half glass full of Andrew Tarvin’s hilarious zombie koolaid and our poet extraordinaire’s flood of perfectly-seared clichés. Just when we felt like contestants Continued on page 2 Association for Applied and Therapeutic Humor (Continued from front page) in the Pat’s vs. Gino’s eat-off, our own Beth Usher (left), conference pièce de résistance, beloved scarecrow in the AATH humorland of Oz, filled us with perfect, satisfying closure to our family meal. Beth’s bountiful ‘tiny wafer’ of wisdom brought us to communal emotional overload bursting with the secret ingredients of laughter, hopefulness, endurance, thankfulness, community, more than a few tears of admiration…and the insight that maybe we don’t need that pesky left-brain anyway. As all Philadelphians and AATH conference coordinators know, you can’t make a great cheesesteak without the cheese. Yes…And that’s what Philly ’15 had plenty of…cheesy fun; nobody was Prov-alone or Bleu…everybody had a gouda time! Our laughathon feast’s opening babybell rang in the Humor Jams Thursday evening. Perfect swiss-timing was observed by bouncer Father Paul Moore who manned the roquefort that had been artfully fon-done by Sporty King and Jae Pierce-Baba. What a joyful feata! Friday’s poster lunch reminded us of the AATH family recipe that is a little bit Colby, and a little bit Marie. The luncheon special of serious research/cancer treatment a la CTCA that was Still(ton) focused on humor’s amazing therapeutic benefits is our trademark soufflé. In her afternoon session, Saranne Rothberg dished up Philly’s other fun treat, pretzels with a side of her hilarious Monterey Jack surprise. Later at the banquet, we honored the always hilarious Joyce Saltz (Cheddar)man with the Doug Fletcher Lifetime Achievement award and the often surprisingly zany Cancer Treatment Centers of America(n) with the Wilde Humor Award. Then, with the signature taste of ‘YMCA,’ the disco cheeseball began to spin for an evening of laughs and dancing to the ’70’s cheesiest sounds from the platters spun by the grooviest Boss Groover. This disco queen wanna be, who looked a little bit more like era icon, Herman Munster, found her Mozz-erella lite, un-aged sista, princess in waiting, Maia Aziz, rocking the same outfit in a Friday Night Fever of white boots, platform shoes, tie-dye, fringe, hot colors, and wild prints. The BRICK (Being Really Into Crazy Klogging)-house award went to jumpin’ jammer, Sporty King whose moves kept on grooving while many others’ muscles turned to psychedelic green Jello. Saturday found us Parmesing-on, honoring scholarship recipients at our business luncheon. I won’t even mention our financial report. That is never funny. Which is why those who arrived late after the CTCA tour were so joy & laughter-filled. Later, although no one actually Camembert, bawdy laughter filled the ballroom as sexologistEd Dunkelblau (right) gave us 50 shades of syntax, ribaldry, play and happy endings. The evening continued with luscious options. Linda MacNeal hosted the film ‘Comedy Warriors,’ showing insights of the all-American bravery of our troops who have paid gravely to defend our country and how humor is key in their rehabilitation. In a surprise move, two of our own deliciously funny hot peppers, Beth Slazek (Comedy Sportz- Buffalo) and Andrew Tarvin (Comedy Sportz-NYC) arranged to join the Comedy Sportz- Philly teams for an evening of competitive, funny or die improv, a tasty fromage topping to the day. I’d report on which team won the match, but you’ll have to ask Beth or Andrew. I don’t have enough words left to make an omelet. And so, after an all-consuming four days of ‘Stayin’ Alive,’ our feast came to an end. Our ‘for the good and farewell,’ was a sparkling toast to the fun, friendship, inspiration and motivation that oozed into hugs, smiles, laughs, filled bellies/ minds/spirits, promises to share our magic retreat next year, and hasty trips to the airport … where 2 • AATH Humor Voice • September 2015 • aath.org some, at least one, of us was abandoned Beth Usher’s Keynote brought in Minneapolis, but miraculously rescued for the night by Elsagher & Co … thank down the house By Kathy Laurenhue you, Brenda! The young woman who learned by Before I left, I heard more than one person the age of five that telling Knock-Knock say, ‘This was the best cheesesteak I’ve jokes to medical personnel would make ever eaten!” I have to agree. It was the them look forward to seeing her — and perfect combination of a foundational treat her gently — made her audience coup of a roll from our conference bakers, both laugh and cry as she gave the piled high with the savory meat of the closing keynote at AATH’s Philadelphia wittiest and wisest (none of the wurst) conference. But the plentiful tears Beth wags in the world, permeated by the Usher instigated were based on the cheesy, creamy goodness of hearty laughs inspiring joy she emanated, as our cheers and uproarious fun, molded into lifelong in the midst of a raucous standing ovation Beth Usher (front) and her supportive family. friendships. clearly showed. So, my dear AATH When Beth was just five years old, she began to have seizures. They started slowly, but friends, my challenge sometimes reached a hundred a day. Eventually her illness was identified as Rasmussen’s to those I dined with Encephalitis, a rare brain disease. Beth lost the right visual field in both eyes and the use in Philly, or have so of her entire right side. After an agonizing period of two years when multiple treatments enjoyed in previous failed, and scans showed the left side of her brain clearly deteriorating, her parents, Brian years: “Bet you and Kathy Usher, agreed to have that entire left side removed in a radical procedure called a can’t eat just one.” hemispherectomy. The surgery, performed in January 1987 by Dr. Ben Carson (Yes, the same Next course, next year, man now running as a Republican candidate for President and, according to Beth, her ticket we break bread together once again. I very to the Lincoln bedroom) is described in his book, Gifted Hands. (Chapter 16, “Little Beth”) much look forward to our special The surgery was initially successful, but lightening striking then Beth slipped into a coma, and even again, as we a visit from Mr. Rogers didn’t waken her. Get our Kicks on Here’s Beth on the back story: “In order to Route 66: Rev’ing get dressed for work when I was sick, my Up Your Humor mom would put me in front of the TV when in Phoenix (Mesa), Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood was on.