Day 3: Have you ever made an entire movie theatre laugh?

[Robin4]

When we have Airbnb guests staying on our property, for me, it’s a ‘clean slate’…..there are these new faces to drivel to…….trot out all the old familiar stories, unload our life experiences on!

A few weeks ago while having an evening chat with guests, in answer to a question how my wife Adrienne was getting on with her MS, I was telling a young couple how one movie outing a couple of months ago proved difficult for us because a flight of steps was involved to get to the seating area of the cinema which was a challenge for Ade with her limited mobility. 

He told me a funny story about ‘breaking wind’ in a cinema one evening which must have got quite a reaction, and then, looking me in the eye, he said to me…….. 

“Have you ever made an entire movie theatre laugh”?

Did we ever!

Around 45 years ago being young and stupid, before Ade developed Multiple Sclerosis, we went to a movie evening one night in one of the large local cinemas. About a third of the way through the main feature, the movie reel broke, and the cinema went into darkness! After about 10 seconds, the main auditorium lights came on and there was this general hub-bub of hushed conversation from the 250 or so movie patrons.

Obviously there was feverish activity in the projector room trying to fix the film break while we all sat twiddling our thumbs hoping to remember what the action was at the point where the film broke!

Ade and I looked at each other, guessing the others' idea, gave each other the thumbs up (a well practiced routine I might add) we both stood up, made our way to the outer aisle making it look like we were going to leave. Then, in the aisle (with my body pressed up to the back of hers) marching with feet and arms in unison, Hup, two, three, four, we did a route march down one side of the theatre, across the centre stage, back up the other side all the while to the cheering of the rest of the audience. When we got to our seat row on the other side of the theatre, we resumed our seats to such a round of applause, the ushers and usherettes all came in to see what all the hilarity was about.

Ade and I got a bigger reaction that night than the main feature……in fact we were the main feature, we were the stars of the night.

Yeah, we made an entire movie theatre laugh!

Cheers……… @Robin4 

[Flavia202]

Entertaining, @Robin4 . Welcome back.

[Trude0]

Great story, well written!

I love the way you write about your wife, and about you two as a couple, your stories. There’s such warmth in your writing. 

So happy to see you back here! 

[Jenny]

Agreed @Trude0 - @Robin4 is a wonderful visual story teller!

[Robin4]

@Trude0  @Jenny 

I have probably mentioned this before here on the CC but I did actually write a book a decade ago and it did reasonably well. It was a murder mystery and made the best seller list for three months in a row. It didn't realise its full potential though  because I was forced to self publish....and self publishing is hard, you don't have any experience to help you with printing,  promotion and distribution.

All of the publishing houses only want to take on authors with a successful track record so when presented with my work they wished me well but declined to be involved until I made the best sellers list......boing!

The book was titled ....."Like the Rainbow" ......

It was a substantial work with over 1,100 pages and traces a parcel of Opal from a murder on the opal mining fields of Coober Pedy in outback South Australia to the gem cutting rooms of Amsterdam and how it affects the lives of all those who come across it along the way......

I made enough out of it to consider it a success but, times have moved on, a decade has passed and I am considering re-releasing it in digital form to extract another dollar or two out of it!

If there is any interest I will post a chapter from it here on the CC so you can get a feel for my writing style.

Cheers.........Rob

[Trude0]

That’s very impressive! 

Maybe you should go back to the publishing houses now, when you do have a a “successful track record”, and see if they want to help you re-release it in any format? 

If it becomes an e-book, let me know, I’d certainly be interested!

[J-Renato0]

Hello @Robin4 

I am somewhat late here!

Great post, funny story about the "performance of yours" in that movie theatre 🙂

I did not know about your book. Congrats!

Sure, I think you should re-release it !

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and Ade.

Jose Renato

[Quincy]

Great story @Robin4! 🤩 I bet that was one moment to never forget!

[Robin4]

@Quincy 

Ade and I met on a blind date! We were not paired with each other but, as soon as she walked in the room, that was it for the rest of my life, my future was mapped out for me, and before that night ended we had a date!

I had this need to impress her so I said to her...."For our first outing I am going to take you on a special date to a place that means a lot to me"!

Down on the south coast where the cliffs of the Adelaide hills tumble into the ocean at a place called Normanville  I had this special hilltop place I would go to when I wanted time to myself, my sanctuary, my place to escape life, where I felt I could recharge my batteries. I felt now was the time to share that place with someone else.

I prepared a great hamper of Champagne, prawns, a seafood salad, some lovely cheeses and some seriously yummy chocolates. I rolled out a blanket, we sat there, watched the sun dip down into the ocean and I think we both felt we had discovered our life partner on that first date!

That Quincy is one moment  never to forget!

Cheers.........Rob  

[Daniel1651]

You just made my day @Robin4 ❤️

What a beautiful story, of love, complicity, joy and facing small challenges in a smiling way.

I could imagine you in the theatre and people around you...thanks, thanks and thanks!

I love that anecdote and am grateful that guests have brought it back and now you share it with us.

Without knowing you, and with all due respect, I would venture to say that you and your wife are a charming couple who are capable of facing small and big life's challenges with an optimistic and joyful gaze.

I wish you all the best from Tenerife, Canary Islands.

Daniel.-

[Robin4]

@Daniel1651 

Thank you Daniel for a lovely message. When I look back it's probably the reaction of others like you who make us do these silly things and kept us focused on that 'shiny new tomorrow'.

Here was Ade and I in 1969, a year before we married......

And here we are with 50 years of marriage behind us.......

We have had our fair share of challenges but, we are still arm in arm.......and still looking forward to that 'Brillante nueva mañana' !

All the best Daniel 

Cheers.........Rob

[Daniel1651]

@Robin4 

Oh, oh, oh! 😍

I love those photos that reflect the tender charm of spending a life with a person we love, smiling, fighting and coping with everything.

Lucky both to have each other.

And lucky us to know such beautiful and inspiring story.

A big hug and a huge love!

😘😘

[Laurelle3]

@Robin4 thank you for sharing your photos of the past and the present. You can see  love shining through along with companionship and friendship.                          In Scouting we also have stickability which Baden Powell used and promoted was the mixture of patience, strength. I think you have stickability with your strength of endurance of hanging in with Airbnb and your life experiences. Take care 

[Christine1]

Thank you Robin. It's hard to explain how wonderful your letters and these particular photos are.... 

Thanks to both of you. 

Xo

Christine.B 

[Jenny]

I love this so much, @Robin4! I can see it in my mind's eye but I bet it was even funnier in person!

I wonder if many of the people there still tell people the story of what they saw that night!