Support

1. to bear or hold up (a load, mass, structure, part, etc.); serve as a foundation for.

2. to sustain or withstand (weight, pressure, strain, etc.) without giving way; serve as a prop for.

3. to undergo or endure, especially with patience or submission; tolerate.

4. to sustain (a person, the mind, spirits, courage, etc.) under trial or affliction: They supported him throughout his ordeal.

5. to maintain (a person, family, establishment, institution, etc.) by supplying with things necessary to existence; provide for: to support a family.

                                                 -- from Dictionary.com

Remember how I blathered on and on about how amazingly supportive my family was last time I went to my hometown?  Well, this last trip back was no different.  My oldest sister made it to the show. My younger brother, his fiance, her mother and aunt, all came out for the show.  My small sister came out, as per usual, along with her boyfriend and his entire family.  My oldest sister held a special pre-Thanksgiving dinner so the Naked Sheep of the family could have a family meal.  MY newly widowed mother was there, and I think it's likely she'll make it to my next hometown show.

My family's support has become a foundation for what I do.  They're encouraging and helpful, and they cheer louder than anyone in the venue when I'm doing my thing.  My younger brother said it's just like me cheering at his football games in his youth.  What a perfect analogy.  They don't just tolerate it.  They promote it and encourage it.  They don't mind having people say, "Oh, Snapper's your sister?!"

But the support I get every time I return to Hot Springs doesn't just come from my family.  I stayed with a lovely couple I met via CouchSurfing.  They not only welcomed me into their home and provided me with the space I needed to rest and prepare for my show, but they also came to the show to show their support.  Kevin, Agnes, and the entire staff of Maxine's have provided an amazing environment for burlesque in Hot Springs.  (Maxine's feels like my Hot Springs burlesque home, much like Monday Night Tease is my Los Angeles burlesque home.)  The wonderful members of Foul Play Cabaret always make me feel welcome.  I love them all.

Most importantly, I wouldn't be able to tour to Arkansas if it weren't for all the people who fulfill definition #5 above.  If it weren't for the audience and the dedicated fans, there wouldn't be a show.  Every person who buys a ticket, every person who tells a friend, every person who buys merch, every person who asks for a candid photo after the show -- I couldn't do this without your support.  I am humbled by you all.