They say that laughter is the best medicine and this weekend I was reminded of that, as Steve Smith, aka Red Green, was inducted into the Canadian Comedy Hall of Fame.
Both himself and his legacy were a huge part of my life, so being there to see him accept this award was humbling as he is living proof that hard work, perseverance and dreams can pay off.
All of my memories that include Steve also include those deep, belly laughs that lead to tears and snorts, where you can’t control yourself and your stomach muscles ache afterwards.
For years I got to feel that laughter afterburn two nights a week as the audience co-ordinator at ‘The Red Green Show’ where I worked the tapings with a live studio audience.
It was some of my greatest memories.
For me, the story began way back in 1977.
My mom just so happened to be in the hospital giving birth to me at the same time that Steve’s wife Morag was giving birth to their son, Max. Now back in those days you stayed a few nights to make sure you knew what you were doing before they sent you home with a little human to keep alive. Because of that extended stay, my mom and Morag were able to bond and promised to keep in touch. And that they did.
The Smith’s became family to me; with Steve being the Godfather to my brother, their dog, Dudley, our adopted part-time pet and their two boys, Max and Dave, like my brothers.
Both Steve and Morag had an easy way of making you feel comfortable and there was never a shortage of laughter at our gatherings. The only thing I dreaded was a game of Trivia Pursuit with them because never have I ever felt as incompetent and dumb as playing against their two boys; who to this day I am sure studied and memorized the cards before we arrived because there is no way that two young boys could know all of the things they did… but I digress.
It was in those early years that Steve and his wife Morag started their first show, ‘Smith & Smith’ at CHCH TV. It was a funny sketch comedy show with lots of singing, as this adorable couple started their rise to fame in a band called ‘Jason’.
As a young girl I would belt out their closing song… “Bad luck, heartache”, trying to mimic Morag’s beautiful voice but failing miserably.
From there the Smith’s went on to do a family sitcom called “Me & Max’ where their sons were also characters on the show. I remember sitting behind the scenes for the taping of one episode where Max was playing a girl wearing my dress! As a kid I thought this was so cool and teased him terribly for looking quite cute as a girl.
By this time my mom, who had worked in television make-up, had taken on a larger role working with the Smith’s. Back then budgets were small so anything I was missing at home most likely had become a prop on the show, much like my dress that Max wore, and my toys and my comforter and … yeah pretty much everything in our house once made a television debut.
And it’s funny as a kid the things that stick because Morag, who played a character called Auntie Kate, would smother the boys in kisses all over their faces and now as an adult I do that to my own children who run from me screaming, “no more Auntie Kate kisses”.
There are so many memories.
Thanks to the Smith’s, the world of television was just a way of life. As kids, we knew the hallways at the television station so well that we could navigate them blindfolded, the Green Room where the snacks were kept was where you would find us and the cast and crew became like extended family.
As the sitcom came to an end, up next was “The Comedy Mill’, another sketch comedy show that was full of laughs and music. Even today, all these years later, watching clips on YouTube, I still giggle. It was funny humour that let you escape the world and throw your worries away, and I wish it has lasted because the world needs more of that.
The cast were all brilliant young actors who could play any role and of course could sing because singing and laughing were what the Smith’s did best. The relationship that Steve and Morag shared was special. You could just feel the love, pride and admiration they had for each other just by being in their presence. For so many reasons I admired them greatly.
When ‘The Comedy Mill’ wrapped, next up was ‘The Red Green Show’ and by this time it was 1991 so I was old enough to understand that my mom had a cool job and we were lucky.
This show went on to last 300 episodes, 15 seasons and become a cult phenomenon. It brought in many more brilliant Canadian actors and a fanbase that could not be rivaled.
It was a show with quirky humour. It was easy, simple, low budget and brilliant. Hence why it lasted.
Everyone needs an escape and Mr. Steve Smith provided just that.
This weekend as I sat in the audience with my mom beaming brightly, surrounded by all of the amazing people who had made the show what it was, made my childhood so special and my memory bank full, I couldn’t help but look back at all of the joy those younger years contained.
How lucky was I?
How lucky were we?
How fortunate were all of the viewers that allowed Steve and his crew into their homes on their television sets time and time again, giving a small pause to the heaviness of life.
As Steve stood to do his acceptance speech of course the room was filled with laughter, pride and admiration, but for once I could see and feel something different than in any other live-audience I had been a part of.
It was grit. It was relief and it was a conclusion.
For so long this brilliant man made the world laugh, but his speech admitted that it wasn’t always easy.
He concluded with a story that his dad once told him about crossing over a river and how when a rock is wiggly and unstable you step on it quickly and move on for fear of falling or getting your foot wet, but when the rock under your feet feels stable and flat and easy to manoeuvre you take your time because it is easy and comfortable, there is no fear of falling so you linger on those rocks longer.
Those rocks are like the good bits. When life is good and easy we want to stay there awhile.
As the rest of the audience applauded and cheered, I sat quiet.
For years this man and his entire family had been my idols and in these closing remarks I saw the man who had made it look easy, admitting that we all need to stay longer on the wobbly rocks, the ones that challenge us and try to sink us for these ones are where the magic lies.
Life is not always easy.
Challenges are where we grow.
Wobbly rocks and roadblocks are where we should spend more time as they are where the lessons lie.
For the first time I didn’t laugh. I absorbed.
Legacies are created with hard work and Steve Smith could not be more deserving.
As Red Green said himself, more times than we can count, “Keep Your Stick on the Ice”.
We’ve Got This!
@half_full_most_days