Me and the Chicken Heart
When I was very young, a school friend of mine introduced me to a new comedian named Bill Cosby. He was different from many of the other popular comedians. They just told jokes. Cosby told wildly exaggerated stories from his childhood along with his own brand of microphone sound effects that we thought were hilarious. Even though I didn’t grow up in South Philadelphia where he did, I could always relate to his stories because they were so universal and were told from a child’s point of view. We listened to his albums so many times that it became easy to memorize his monologues.
My favorite story was one called, “The Chicken Heart.” It’s on Youtube now if you’d like to hear it and I’ve also excerpted part of it in the audio below. What I liked about the story was that it captured an aspect of human nature that I still find challenging after all these years—opening myself up to imaginary fears and then reacting to them as if they are real.
In the story, Bill, at the age of 7, waits till his parents have gone out for the evening and does what they have specifically told him not to do—listen to scary programs on the living room radio. His favorite scary show is one called, “Lights Out” in which an eerie announcer instructs you to turn off all the lights in your house and listen to the program in total darkness. The announcer then proceeds to scare you senseless with the idea that a life-sized flesh-eating mutant chicken heart has escaped from a science laboratory and is advancing quickly to your front door, eating everything in its path. Young Cosby’s reaction is, of course, overblown. He smears Jell-o on the floor to trip the monster and also sets the living room couch on fire hoping the monster can’t get past the smoke and flames. Just then, his parents return home and are yelling at him over the loud radio to find out why he has done this. He tells them it’s to protect them all from the chicken heart. “What chicken heart?” they ask. “The one on the radio!” Bill screams. His father says, “Well, turn it off!” After that there is dead silence in the room. Bill says, softly to the audience in front of him, “I hadn’t thought of that.”
That’s the part that I can still relate to. I often find myself listening to conversations, not only on the radio and TV, but in my head, that either scare the hell out of me, depress me or make me doubt my own value.
When I have the consciousness to turn the TV or radio off, I’m usually very glad I did. I feel that same peaceful silence Bill Cosby felt from turning off the radio horror story. When the scary conversation is in my head, it’s not as easy to turn it off. The best I can do, I’ve found, is to think something else. I have to literally change the channel in my head and start thinking about what I’m grateful for, what I’d like to see happen in the future, or things that make me happy. It’s so easy to forget that we often create and invite the very things in our lives that we are afraid of or that we complain about. The link between cause and effect isn’t always obvious but if we tune into how we feel during our conversations or in the middle of watching something on TV, we can get a better idea of how we might be needlessly scaring ourselves. Next time, you get really worked up over something you see or hear, take Bill Cosby’s father’s advice. Just turn it off.
As always, I’d love to hear your thoughts about any of the above ideas. I look forward to your comments. Enjoy part of Bill Cosby’s audio performance below.
-Jim
“The Chicken Heart” comedy routine by Bill Cosby
Click Play button below [4:17]
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I couldn’t agree more. This “Chicken Heart” story tells it perfectly.
HILARIOUS! B/f I get started, I think the radio needs a comeback! Seriously, I lost myself for 4 minutes and 16 seconds listening to the Bill Cosby’s clip. It was great! I IMAGINED! With all this TV and visual ads, I think I forgot how my imagination worked, but once again, Jim….you brought me back!
I recently went to a presentation hosted by the WPO and facilitated by a dynamic and brilliant guy named Shawn Achor (www.ShawnAchor.com). He told AMAZING stories of the mind that we all knew to be true. WOOOOW. I said the same thing, sarcastically. But, he proved them scientifically! Like for instance. If you and your partner each share three things that you love about each other, in six months you will both find each other more attractive. Pao and I have been doing it for the past week….we didn’t even realize it was working until last night. Looking back, we found we cuddled together more often, cooked together (a miracle for me), were more patient, etc.
There are a few stories, but this relates to your blog, Jim, b/c the fear in your mind can be released simply by verbally telling yourself your not afraid of that thing and/or verbally telling yourself to change your mental channel and then merely mentioning the topic you want to think about. Try that whenever your mind goes in a direction you don’t want it to and BAM! no more thinking about what you don’t allow yourself to think about.
I don’t know Jim…something must be wrong with me because I go nuts in complete silence. I even find it very difficult to fall asleep without some sort of noise…like a fan, etc. I don’t think I’m alone in this matter.
Oliver
I know what you mean, Ollie. The kind of silence I was referring to is what you get when you stop letting your mind entertain scary and fearful thoughts. If complete silence is too uncomfortable, then at least thinking thoughts that make you feel better can help.
Thanks, Masoud. The “what I love about you” exercise is one of the things I have couples do in Powerful Partnerships.
Thanks, Marty.
Your story is one I really relate to, as I also grew up watching Bill Cosby. I saw his very first appearance on Jack Parr, and was hooked on his brand of humor. I bought his albums and enjoyed seeing him when I could. Whenever he came here to Purdue to perform, he ate at a pizza place after the show named Bruno’s, where my family often ate, and it was a thrill to see him in person at that restaurant.
If only we could all see our own problems and fears as a caricature, and realize that we too could could just turn them off… Maybe we can!
Thanks, Andy. Your message reminded me that I first saw him on Jack Paar as well. That’s where I first saw the Beatles, too. We all had no idea what we were looking at–girls screaming, crying and drowning out the music.
Jim,
Beautiful lesson. Thanks. I TOTALLY relate to the story of listening to Bill Cosby as a youngster. He was and is spell-binding and hilarious. Thanks for using it as a jumping off point for something a little more serious.
Total silence is really rare these days, in my life anyway. But turning off the TV, radio, iPod, email, etc. is still very effective.
Great post! It is good to have a reminder we are active participants in what we are taking in, and always have the option of changing directions.
Thanks, Michelle.
Thanks, Dan. Good to hear from you.
I love it, Jim. My hope is that many more people read this and learn how to “change the channel” as needed. Lots of people are shouting (aloud and internally), “Turn this off!” and of course that doesn’t work. It must be replaced, as you’ve shared.
Thanks, Steve.
Thanks for your comments, Dan.
hahaha this is so hilarouis i have this on my ipod touch and i listn to it all the time when going to school (1 hour long bus ride) pretty funny i like it