Looking Back with Laughter

The Year Was 1999.

The world sure was different then, and so was I. My kids were 7 and 4, and life was chaotic as I juggled parenthood, a nursing career, and a couple of stand-up gigs a month.

At the time, Google had fewer than 20 employees, Bill Clinton dodged impeachment, and fear of a Y2K computer crash loomed large.

That same year, my good friend Ann Morrison and I founded Comic Vision and staged a comedy show to raise money and awareness for the Foundation Fighting Blindness in hopes of funding research into retinitis pigmentosa – an eye disorder that Ann’s son Gavin had been diagnosed with at an early age.

It exceeded all expectations as friends and family gathered to share laughter and raise over $7,500 in support of a great cause!

Fast Forward to 2018.

My now adult ‘millennials’ have left the nest and are launching their own careers, I work full time as a motivational humorist, Google has 72,000 employees, and Bill Clinton makes more money giving one speech than he made in an entire year as President.

Most importantly, we celebrated the 20^th Anniversary of Comic Vision which, under Ann Morrison’s leadership and through the efforts of so many dedicated volunteers, has evolved into a national tour and raised a remarkable $9+ million for sight saving research!

Yes, so much has changed since that night when friends and family gathered together in a small smoky comedy club to rally around a great cause.

What has not changed is the power of community – people coming together to share an evening of laughter with a common goal of making a difference in the lives of one million Canadians who live with vision threatening eye disease.

Little did we know that what we were starting would have such an impact on the lives of so many who are challenged by sight loss.

As I like to say, it takes a village – and Comic Vision certainly proves that!

Meg Soper offers engaging and funny keynote presentations and employee workshops about conflict management and resolution in the workplace. Get in touch with Meg today!

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Meg Soper

Meg Soper is a leading motivational humorist for organizations in North America. Her unique perspective combines the insights and experiences of her last thirty years spent as a Registered Nurse, stand-up comedian, and ultimately a motivational speaker. Meg has co-authored two books and appeared on the CBC Television network, Women’s Television network, and Prime TV as well as on radio and at comedy festivals.