Bernie Mac R.I.P. · Aug 11, 01:55 AM

I meet kids who are 23 who are way more versed in the working world than I was at that age. I’m still learning. When I was 23 I was delivering room service at a hotel. I had spent the previous year working at a Legal Aid Justice Center in Richmond, VA where I filed Chapter 7 bankruptcies, and worked with homeless clients and residents of public housing. Food and housing were taken care of and I lived on an $85 per month stipend. Before that I spent four years studying philosophy and skateboarding every day. I always knew every music video but I hardly watched television or films. And here I was, 23 years old, working at a hotel that catered to a clientele of people in the entertainment industry. I was clueless as to who nearly everyone was. And, I signed a confidentiality agreement so I never talked about who I saw at the hotel but I’m going to share a story about someone whose work I’ve always loved, someone who I still look up to today, and someone I’ll keep in my prayers that he rests in peace…Bernie Mac.

It was rare that I worked in the evenings but after my day shift I volunteered to fill in for an evening bus boy. It was a busy shift and I didn’t know how the night show was run so I was scrambling around, trying not to screw up but I managed to break some glasses and deliver food to the wrong people.

I didn’t notice him walk in but Bernie Mac was eating dinner tonight. I realized when a waiter caught me off guard and told me to, “show this gentleman where the restroom is.” I looked up and it was Bernie Mac.

—I flashed back to an awesome date I brought a girl on in the summer of 2000. There was this beautiful girl from Lake Forest who I was working with. She was so clean, well groomed, put together. I asked her out and she said, “Sure.” I borrowed my mom’s car and drove to Whole Foods, bought all kinds of great food and some Third Coast Beers, put together an awesome picnic lunch, picked up the girl and then hung out at a beach where my friend worked in Evanston. We had fun and then I told her I was taking her to see a movie. I took her to see “The Original Kings of Comedy.” There were only a couple other people in the theater and no one was laughing. I can understand not laughing at Steve Harvey, or DL Hughly, but come on, Cedric the Entertainer was pretty good and Bernie Mac was hilarious. My date wasn’t hyped on the movie at all and I got bummed that she didn’t like Bernie Mac. I didn’t get it. It was a film; it was funny. Stand up comedy is acting; he was playing a character.

Instead of saying, “Make a left and then a right to get to the bathroom,” I walked with him and chatted him up but he wasn’t interested in talking. I told him I was from Chicago. He didn’t care. Then I mentioned that I grew up knowing Nora Powell and that she made really cool outfits for me. Bernie Mac stopped, looked at me, his eyes getting real big, and with confusion, said, “How you know Nora Powell?” I started telling him as we got to the entrance to the bathroom. He stood at the urinal and I stayed by the door talking away. We walked out together and he wished me good luck on my endeavors.

A couple of weeks later I saw Bernie Mac back at the hotel, this time during the day. He was talking on the phone but he had the earpiece in and I didn’t realize he was talking to someone. I said hello to him and he shook my hand but motioned that he was busy. Before realizing this I asked him what he was up to, but apologetically walked away when I thought I was bothering him. A few minutes later when I walked by and he was off the phone he told me he was meeting Ashton Kutcher. I go, “You gonna teach him about the ways of the world?” He laughed and said, “If the lil nigga’ll listen.” I laughed and said good-bye. The best part is that he pronounced the name ‘Koocher.’

Sorry to use someone’s name like I did in telling this story, but I’m thinking about the original king of comedy this weekend…

— Young Philosopher

Comment

1. word. rest in peace.

   — nijj · Aug 11, 02:07 PM · #

2. man…he was the best. st. killian watch over him.

   — joe · Aug 22, 03:31 PM · #

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