Friday's the big day.
The day I take the stage and make my improv debut at The Second City.
It's not the main stage, it's not a big show, and I'm sure most of it will be downright ugly.
But I'm excited as hell.
Because all I can think about is how Tina Fey did this exact same thing.
And so did Farley and Belushi and Carrell and a slew of so many amazing others.
If I'm being completely honest, I've dreamt of studying at the Second City for a long long time.
I didn't admit this my first class, I pretended I just "happened to sign up."
Nobody just happens to sign up, we're all there for a reason.
My reason happened in 1996.
My 3rd grade class won the honor of broadcasting a live news program to our entire school,
and I was cast as anchorwoman.
This was a big deal. Big.
It was a role I fought hard for. Like most women anchors, I'm not proud of what I had to do to land it.
But that's a post for another day.
This is what I looked like in 3rd grade, so you can see landing this role had nothing to do with "looks."
Sunflower attire, perhaps. But I definitely wasn't soft on the eyes.
I had beautiful "summer teeth" at this age.
Sum were here... sum were there...
It was the day of our first pilot broadcast. I was beyond excited.
I hadn't eaten in weeks in order to fit into my Limited Two three-piece business suit.
The weather kid finished with his update on the playground and it was my time to shine.
As soon as the camera panned to me I suddenly knew what I had to do,
I threw out the designated script and proceeded to recite my own news stories,
each in a different, very bizarre, and "incredibly inappropriate" voice.
My peers loved it. My teacher was livid. I had "made a joke of her serious news show."
But c'mon, we all know the show became a joke the minute she cast Mindy Johnson
as "fashion coordinator."
The girl wore light-ups in 3rd grade for God's sake.
I was immediately fired from my position. But I didn't care. I'd found my calling.
But you know what? It's scary to admit you're chasing your dreams.
(When you're twenty five I mean, it's totally fine when you're nine.)
Because people judge you for it.
For the longest time I hated telling people I wanted to go into a career in a comedy.
Because you've always got that asshole who responds,
oh so you think you're really funny?
No dick, I just love comedy.
And I love working with funny people.
And yeah, I guess I often laugh at my own jokes even when no one else does...So what.
Anyone pursuing a career in something more on the creative/entertainment side of things is always taking a pretty big risk if you ask me.
Because people want us to fail even more.
I'm guilty of it myself. I remember when kids from my high school went off to California
(which is where all Norfolk teenagers dream of moving)
to try to model or act and I'd always think
oh they'll never make it.
I'd hope it too.
What a snatchy thing to think.
Pretty sure I was just super jealous.
But now that I'm doing it, now that I'm actually trying to do what I love, I don't feel like that anymore.
When this girl announced she was picking up and moving to LA with her husband so he can purse a career in acting I was genuinely happy/excited for the both of them.
And I don't even know Bon's "hubs."
But let's be honest, we all feel like we know blogger's significant others.
I have no idea where I'm going with this.
I guess I'm just trying to say I'm beyond excited about Friday.
Even if I tank, at least I can say I tried.
And la dee fricken dah for that.
Chase your dreams kids, what's the point of making a living
just to live doing something you hate.
The day I take the stage and make my improv debut at The Second City.
It's not the main stage, it's not a big show, and I'm sure most of it will be downright ugly.
But I'm excited as hell.
Because all I can think about is how Tina Fey did this exact same thing.
And so did Farley and Belushi and Carrell and a slew of so many amazing others.
If I'm being completely honest, I've dreamt of studying at the Second City for a long long time.
I didn't admit this my first class, I pretended I just "happened to sign up."
Nobody just happens to sign up, we're all there for a reason.
My reason happened in 1996.
My 3rd grade class won the honor of broadcasting a live news program to our entire school,
and I was cast as anchorwoman.
This was a big deal. Big.
It was a role I fought hard for. Like most women anchors, I'm not proud of what I had to do to land it.
But that's a post for another day.
This is what I looked like in 3rd grade, so you can see landing this role had nothing to do with "looks."
Sunflower attire, perhaps. But I definitely wasn't soft on the eyes.
I had beautiful "summer teeth" at this age.
Sum were here... sum were there...
It was the day of our first pilot broadcast. I was beyond excited.
I hadn't eaten in weeks in order to fit into my Limited Two three-piece business suit.
The weather kid finished with his update on the playground and it was my time to shine.
As soon as the camera panned to me I suddenly knew what I had to do,
I threw out the designated script and proceeded to recite my own news stories,
each in a different, very bizarre, and "incredibly inappropriate" voice.
My peers loved it. My teacher was livid. I had "made a joke of her serious news show."
But c'mon, we all know the show became a joke the minute she cast Mindy Johnson
as "fashion coordinator."
The girl wore light-ups in 3rd grade for God's sake.
I was immediately fired from my position. But I didn't care. I'd found my calling.
But you know what? It's scary to admit you're chasing your dreams.
(When you're twenty five I mean, it's totally fine when you're nine.)
Because people judge you for it.
For the longest time I hated telling people I wanted to go into a career in a comedy.
Because you've always got that asshole who responds,
oh so you think you're really funny?
No dick, I just love comedy.
And I love working with funny people.
And yeah, I guess I often laugh at my own jokes even when no one else does...So what.
Anyone pursuing a career in something more on the creative/entertainment side of things is always taking a pretty big risk if you ask me.
Because people want us to fail even more.
I'm guilty of it myself. I remember when kids from my high school went off to California
(which is where all Norfolk teenagers dream of moving)
to try to model or act and I'd always think
oh they'll never make it.
I'd hope it too.
What a snatchy thing to think.
Pretty sure I was just super jealous.
But now that I'm doing it, now that I'm actually trying to do what I love, I don't feel like that anymore.
When this girl announced she was picking up and moving to LA with her husband so he can purse a career in acting I was genuinely happy/excited for the both of them.
And I don't even know Bon's "hubs."
But let's be honest, we all feel like we know blogger's significant others.
I have no idea where I'm going with this.
I guess I'm just trying to say I'm beyond excited about Friday.
Even if I tank, at least I can say I tried.
And la dee fricken dah for that.
Chase your dreams kids, what's the point of making a living
just to live doing something you hate.
.gif "REALLY!?!")
