Steph Not Stephanie

Clearly I like sharing my stories. I like to think people (all five of you and my mom) enjoy reading them as well. I am pretty good at telling them on dates (either as entertainment or a warning that sometimes goes unheeded) and when I haven’t seen friends in a while, I usually sing for my supper in the form of Toronto dating tales. These are all pretty normal — in my life anyway — channels to share. I’ve dipped my toes in the podcast pool, but in the past month or so, I decided to wade far outside my comfort zone and tell a tale or two in front of a live audience.

I popped my storytelling cherry at 416 Dating Tales’ Earth Day event. I’m a bit of a hippie (I gave up bacon and everything else with a face for primarily environmental reasons, but I will not go without A/C in the summer) and I talk a lot, so it seemed like a good fit. I am blessed with very indulgent supportive friends who accompanied me to The Garrison and ensured I had a steady stream of white wine spritzers (my patented recipe to get drunk enough to use a mic without being sloppy). The crowd was not what I expected: most came via an environmental group and the host had to explain what Tinder was. This suprisingly worked to my advantage. I wasn’t as nervous, and I didn’t fuck up. I got some laughs with this gem, although I did tone down the language for the crowd. I only said fuck once!

At the next one, I did no such toning. I “performed” at Tinder Tales‘ launch at Supermarket in Kensington. I’ve attended some great shows there, so no pressure. As the lineup grew, I found myself smack dab in the middle of real comics (such as the hilarious Suzi Marks) and my favourite Toronto dating blogger and comedian Christina Walkinshaw from My Week on Tinder. Shit was getting real. Shit got even realer when the host said there was a ‘great bunch of comedians for the night … Here to start us off is Steph Davidson.’ Jesus roller skating Christ, did he just call me a comedian? I know my dating life is a comedy of errors, but holy fuck, no pressure. Thank god this crowd was more my speed, because this story included the line ‘You need to stop choosing men with your clitoris,’ which some of the actual comedians referenced later. I made it through my story (the one that started it all) intact, although I was nearly blinded by the stage lights. People laughed in all the right places and I didn’t fall off the stage, so all in all it was a win. Someone filmed a bit of it (from a fan-fuckting-tastic angle), so you can judge for yourself:

So a few nerves (and a few drinks) aside, I actually really enjoyed the experience. Hopefully my friends continue to indulge me because I have lots of bad dates to share with the world. Or at least a handful of people in bars around Toronto.