They sat before me on Thanksgiving morning in Mt. Prospect, IL; a group of all female naval cadets just six days away from completing basic training and awaiting whatever adventure the Navy has planned for them.
They had made it through “Live Fire Day,” survived the “Confidence Chamber,” aka the Teargas Chamber, and, on their first day of camp, learned the Navy’s definition of “Moment of Truth.” I won’t go into details but it includes surrendering your phone, not an easy task if you’re young and a fan of social media.
Now, seated in a semi-circle in Prospect Moose Lodge 660, they were told their Thanksgiving celebration included remarks from a comedian. They appeared nervous. But not as nervous as me.
What would I, older than most of their fathers and with no military service on my resume, say to them? I pondered that question from the moment I accepted the Moose Lodge’s invitation a month prior. Perform my bit about entering the online dating world after a 29-year marriage that ended in divorce? Not exactly relatable. Joke about my health woes? Trust me, my aches and pains pale to what these girls probably feel like when they hit their bunks after a session of “Toughness in Action.”
I decided to employ a tactic that has served me well in a 25-year career of doing keynote presentations for Fortune 500 organizations and professional business associations:
Even in the Navy, The Best Humor is Customized Humor
Sometimes it takes an outsider to remind audiences that their jobs, their companies and, indeed their lives are funny. This cast of dedicated females, from places unfamiliar to me such as Scott County, Tennessee, realized it eventually. But first it took getting to know them, and requesting they treat me like a superior, even though I was anything but. They obliged.
On a Scale of 1-10, how is the Navy so far?
From there I commended them on (nearly) completing basic training and asked if the Navy planned to send them one of those “How did we do?/Please rate your experience” emails that glut our inboxes. Judging from their reactions, lets hope the recruits never receive one.
Much of the “insight” I had gleaned about the recruits came from learning about the Naval Station Great Lakes, where the recruits hunkered down with each other for 10 weeks. The website touted a four week regime of toughness with separate weeks devoted to “Toughness in Action, “Integrity in Toughness,” Initiative and Toughness” and “Accountability and Toughness.” That was all the information I needed for the jokes that followed.
When customizing shows for corporate audiences, I have long turned to the web first, although I will admit ChatGPT is beginning to play a significant role in my preparation. Taking material the organization writes and giving it a comedic spin is essential when speaking in front of a corporate audience. It allows the audience to think, “Yeah, we are kind of crazy here. But we still love our jobs and the organizations we work for.”
For me, this 45-minute show flew by faster than an F/A 18 Super Hornet. The more the girls realized it was okay to laugh at themselves, the more they opened up. During my set I learned about their backgrounds, their personal lives and their dreams for the future. They noticed Navy veterans in the back of the room laughing as well and, no doubt, silently reminiscing about their Boot Camp experiences. Sometimes, when speaking at a corporate event, I see employees looking at their bosses, wondering if he or she is laughing and, only then, joining in the laughter. If I see that, I remind audiences that laughter is subjective and one person should never decide what is appropriate to laugh at.
I hope the Moose Lodge audience realizes that as they begin their next adventure. Thank you to the U.S. Navy for providing me with a very happy and memorable Thanksgiving.
