Life priorities: faith, family friends

Some people start their day with a cup of coffee. I like to start mine in prayer. I pray a lot. I always have. In fact, I probably pray about three pots a day.
Tuesday was an incredibly productive and memorable day for me. I was the keynote speaker for the good people at the Alabama Association of Rehabilitation Facilities annual conference, which took place at the Marriott Hotel at Grand National. It was very rewarding to share my story and to bring laughter to these wonderful folks who do God’s work every day by helping to make the lives better of those in need. We could all take a few notes from them.
I have a lot going on in my life right now, it’s not all exactly positive, so I could’ve been easily distracted throughout my performance; however, it went flawlessly. I’m fairly certain Jesus took the microphone from me, because my performance ended with a standing ovation. After another night of very little sleep, it was just what I needed to kick start the rest of my day. Well, that and prayer.
After lunch, I had to go to Auburn to record a special tribute to a dear friend of mine who just happens to be a World War II hero. It’s the first time I’ve had the honor of paying tribute to a hero in this manner.
After that, I had to go to my favorite automotive repair shop, owned by a lifelong friend, to have a very minor issue repaired. I’d been putting it off, because it was such a minor inconvenience, but I had some time on my hands. Plus, they have very comfortable sofas in the lounge, which afforded me the opportunity to take a nap—only I couldn’t because Ghostbusters was on. Who ya gonna call?
Later that evening, I attended the city council meeting here in Opelika where I received a proclamation from the city as “The Funniest Man in Opelika,” which is a play on James Gregory, who is known as “The Funniest Man in America.” I am incredibly excited to be opening for him when he returns to The Bottling Plant Event Center in downtown Opelika on August 21. For the record, the only reason I received such a proclamation is because both Forrest Long and Paul Jackson have moved on to the big comedy stage in the sky. Those guys were funny.
It was a busy day, but the highlight of my day was having dinner with a special lady—Emily, my eight year old step-daughter. Tuesdays is her night with her dad, so we met for dinner and ate outside while watching her walk on walls and climb trees like the spider monkey she is. Spending time with her was my priority on this eventful day.
They also went to the city council meeting with me, along with several friends. It’s the first time she’d seen me speak to a large group of people. When I pointed at her and winked during my talk, she smiled yet timidly turned away in a single motion. When it was over, she grabbed my hand, smiled, and said she was proud of me. I teared up towards the end of my short speech, and she was quick to point out that it was the first time she’d ever seen me cry. I assured her that it would not be the last.
I’m not perfect in any way, but I like to think I have my priorities straight: faith, family, and friends. When we have those in order, everything else seems to fall into place, even when things aren’t going exactly the way we’d like.
Jody Fuller is a comic, speaker, writer, and soldier with three tours of duty in Iraq. He is also a lifetime stutterer. He can be reached at jody@jodyfuller.com. For more information, please visit www.jodyfuller.com .