Living in Color: What’s Funny About Me
By Tommy Davidson (with Tom Teicholz)
So I’m on an autobiography surge right now, and the next few posts will reflect that. Ok, lets get up in other peoples’ business.
This book has been on my list ever since I saw an interview with Tommy talking about his life. He played parts in many of the shows I grew up on, and to hear his life….oooh tell me more.
Watching someone on television is funny…because, whether you set out to or not, you develop an ideal image of them in your mind….who they are, their likes and pet peeves, and how they move about in the world (the real world). I think this is why, when you hear some scandal or something about someone that doesn’t fit the image you’ve created, it’s devastating (I mean not really, but a little). I remembered this conundrum when things Tommy shared about himself and others that went against those ideals for me. Moments like that are good reminders to shatter images I have of others, appreciate different perspectives, and understand that as much as I may know about someone or something, there is just as much that I do not know (you know?)
I loved how Tommy weaved in his history with his present, and how different characters in his life showed up for him (or lack thereof). I stopped reading some parts, not because they were too difficult, but because I remembered this character or that one, and I would go online and watch clips of the shows he was in (laughed out loud more than once!).
Nostalgia is like a warm cup of tea, or an iced drink, depending on the season.
I recommend you take a listen….but…you can do what you want to do.
Plotitude 