FORT SILL, Okla. -- The Aug. 16 Beef and Burgundy night at the Fort Sill's historic Patriot Club is a not to be missed night because in addition to great food and service, comedian Mollie Gross will perform during the event.
Gross is a military wife humorist, a Marine Corps veteran's spouse, author, professional standup comedienne and a motivational speaker. She uses laughter to bring healing humor to military spouses.
"Laughter is the best medicine," said Gross. "You have to approach things with humor or you lose all perspective. Nothing is more healing than laughter.
"What's so nice about comedy is that when everyone stops taking themselves so seriously you can enjoy yourself. I get up there and say the things out loud that they are thinking in their heads and they can laugh at it and it takes the pressure off," she said. "I will tell them I'm about to say something that is totally inappropriate. I do ask that the audience is 18 and up. It may be inappropriate for children."
Gross uses her experiences as a military wife to create her comedy routine. After four years and two deployments, her husband, Jon, left active duty and is now "a Marine Corps veteran," who served two combat deployments to Iraq in 2003 and 2004 for the initial invasion.
"When he was deployed, I used comedy to mask my depression and sadness. So I understand some of what these military spouses are going through and I wanted to give back to the women who helped me through the hard times," she said. "I understand that some spouses need cheering up during deployment," she said. Others struggle with reunions.
"When they come back from war or deployment, they're going to be different, and you're going to be different," said Gross. "You're going to have to rely on those vows that you took before God to get you through that."
That's one of the serious and important messages Gross weaves through her standup comedy: Soldiers coming back from combat deployment need some time to adjust from time spent in Iraq or Afghanistan.
"I learned not to step out of the shower with a towel wrapped around my head when he first got home," she jokes. "And, don't take his word on PTSD. You need to get the facts. For instance, taking out the trash is not going to bring out flashbacks."
Gross said her comedy at Fort Sill will be for the spouses, but also for the men in the crowd.
"I tease the men at the beginning, but I don't heckle or call anyone out or pick on someone. The men sometimes have more fun than the women at some shows," she said in a telephone interview.
Gross accepted the Family and MWR invitation to perform at Fort Sill because she wants to give back to the military community and installations like Fort Sill have spouses and retirees who could use a laugh to lighten up a deployment.
"I tell people all the time that MWR is there for you and it's wonderful," she said. "I'm really excited about performing at Fort Sill. I am working on new jokes focusing on marriage and crazy pets for Fort Sill. Pet people, are you coming to the show?"
Gross also does an advice column called "Ask Mollie," which appears monthly in several publications and on YouTube.
"People submit questions to me anonymously, and I either respond on video or in writing. I do take the questions seriously but I will often throw humor in the response," she said. "The questions are submitted on my website and I respond immediately."
Gross said she always knew she wanted to be the center of attention.
"Since I was a child I was told I would be a comedian so I took theater in college," she said. "When I was a military wife, I was a military wife but when he was gone, I would do comedy. I also always knew I would write a book about my experiences."
Her book "Confessions of a Military Wife," is recognized on The First Lady of the Marine Corps Recommended Reading List, and is the No. 1 selling book in digital format published by Savas Beatie, with more than 20,000 e-book and hard covers sold. Her "Ask Mollie," advice column appears monthly in "Military Spouse Magazine." Gross said she is working on her second and third books simultaneously.
Gross will be available to autograph her book for readers and fans. She will also have the book available to purchase.
Cocktails are served at 5 p.m. for the Beef and Burgundy event at the historic Patriot Club and dinner starts at 6 p.m. The menu includes prime rib, baked potato bar, full salad bar, fresh baked rolls, dessert, wine and beverages. The event is open to the public. Cost is $25 without wine or $30 with wine. Reserve a spot by Aug. 13. For reservations or for more information, call the Patriot Club at 580-442-5300.
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