New Year
I promised myself years ago that I would quit standup if I found myself doing the exact same set in the same venue over and over again, when opportunities dried up or I stopped chasing them. If I wasn’t diligent, I could see a possible future of complacency instead of adventure.
That fear kept me writing. It kept me trying different things. Something NEW had to happen or I would know it was time to reassess things. New venues, new states, new challenges. Not always fun. Lots of plateaus. Lots of dips.
I started going to open mics in 2002. A “career” in comedy seemed like a ridiculous fantasy at the time (still shaky, but hey). A world of clubs and corporate shows SLOWLY opened up to me, but I always wanted to “perform for the troops”. Just never knew quite how to make that happen.
A military tour has been an unrealized goal for nearly 15 years. I came close to going to South Korea and Japan a few years ago, but that fell through at the last minute.
Anyway, just performed my second of three shows as a part of Armed Forces Entertainment this week. I’m ringing in the New Year in a strange place with new friends. I zip-lined over a waterfall yesterday. Never did that before. I asked in broken Spanish if there was a weight limit, and was told with a shrug “Es okay.” Despite that, I went anyway.
Had to wait almost the entire year for this “something new”. Had to wait over 15 years for tonight (thanks, Slade). And I jumped at it.
Wishing you a Happy New Year, especially to those who need it. It’s never too late. Keep chasing what you want.
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