Page 21 - MN

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The book, "Quiet", about introverts, was a giant revelation to me. I learned a huge part of humanity is not big on socializing. Sadly it was published 50 years too late. The worst for me was working cruise ships near the end of my career. Don't get me wrong, the jobs on ships probably saved my life. I was terminally lonely on the road, very close to joining a cult or setting up a meth lab, and suddenly that changed.
I was doing an opening act at Harrah's at Lake Tahoe and a guy came up back stage and asked, "Have you ever worked cruise ships?"
I said, "No".
"Do you want to?"
I said, "Sure, why not?"
It was a blessing for me.
This was in 1983 and my career was not on a fast track to stardom. I was
playing college concerts, PBS TV shows, conventions and casino show rooms as an opening act. The money was good, but the big time was not breaking down my door.
On ships I found other entertainers, people from exotic places like Greece, Russia, Turkey, Poland, Japan, etc., and when we traveled the world they would fill me in on all sorts of knowledge. It was a steep learning curve and the line I worked was arguably the best in the world, Royal Viking Line. Not only that, they had three ships--one in the Americas, one in Asia, and one in Europe. Once they discovered I was a good fit for their audiences, I could choose which cruises to work and I could see the world. Sensational. So, good money (and there were no expenses to speak of), people to hang out with, fascinating itineraries (ships don't go to North Dakota), and best of all, good show rooms with professional sound and lights. What could go wrong?
Cocktail parties. Formal dinners.
Part of the job was socializing with the passengers and I was a confirmed loner. I could fake it for awhile, but if I got invited to a cocktail party followed by a formal dinner, I was looking at 3 hours of socializing. Lots of times while wearing a tuxedo. Damn. I could do it. I could talk and not embarrass myself, I could choose the right fork, but for me it was the toughest part of the job. I love entertaining. Nothing beats a really good night on stage. I love seeing the world. I love making friends from distant places and learning stuff. I can walk through distant ports talking one-on-one with an interesting person and truly enjoy it. But deep in my heart, I'm uncomfortable with larger groups.
There was one other problem. The passengers on these ships ranged from upper class to corporate moguls to royalty. I know you'll be shocked to hear this, but it was not a liberal crowd. They once had a mock election on the ship and Republicans polled 90%. I, on the other hand, was an ex-hippie folksinger