On Stage

Tonight, I went to a try-out for Comedy Sportz. If you have never been to a Comedy Sportz event it is an improv comedy troupe that is totally kid friendly. My kids love it, and so do Kim and I. If you are in a city which offers it, give it a try. There were about 50 hopefuls in attendance and we each participated in a couple of improv exercises in groups of 4 which were really designed to see how we interacted with others and thought on our feet. I kind of bombed on the first one, I guess from a combination of nerves and hesitance. The second exercise went much better as I got a pretty big laugh from one of my lines. The problem was I really couldn't play off of the others and knew that I had kind of screwed up.
After the improvs there was a break so the monitors could decided who they wanted to see more of. Needless to say, I was not asked to stay. Let me say that there were a lot of VERY talented people in attendance tonight and I hope to see some of them on stage someday soon.
Now, here is the important message that I want to convey. While some may be reading this with a bit of sympathy or disappointment on my behalf, there is no need for such thoughts. I went there tonight to try something new(I succeeded), I went to get out of my box and try to be creative in some way(success) , I wanted to make people laugh(success).

I didn't get picked for the team. Big deal...I tried out. That is the most important thing. To try. It is better to try and fail than succeed at doing nothing. I am proud of me tonight and I feel a sense of accomplishment that I hasn't been there in a Looonnnggg time.

Out of My Box

I posted on here a while back about my experience in Junior High Drama with a buddy of mine, Bill Robinson. We did Who's on First and the room roared with laughter. Well, tomorrow night, I am going to some tryouts for an improv comedy troupe in Houston. If things go well, it could turn into a nice little hobby and a lot of fun. I like to try different things and this could turn out to be really cool. Even with the blues I have felt this week, this could really be very cool. If you read this in the next 22 hours wish me luck. I just hope I don't have to sing(For everyone's sake.)

Been a While

A Year and three months ago, my dad and I had an argument. Not the typical father-son thing. This one got messy. My wife was brought into it, my kids were brought into it. You name it. During those 15 or so months I have blamed myself for what happened. I blamed myself for not heading off a situation which could have turned bad(and did). I have felt guilt for not caving in to what he wanted. But mostly, I have felt bad because my kids no longer have a relationship with their Papa. Well, my kids have gotten over things quite a bit, Kim has moved on, and gotten a promotion. Me, I haven't. Over the last 15 months I have written no poetry, not done any painting or anything creative. The only thing I have done is add 40 lbs. I have been stagnant as far as expressing myself.
You see, all of my life I have tried to hold things in as much as possible. When I was younger I tried to be mature beyond my years. I wanted to prove to others that I could be someone that they could depend on. I have now been in the workforce for 21 years and held only 2 jobs(Albertson's left me, I didn't leave it). I work with some great people that I consider great friends and I feel like a success because of it. More importantly, I have a wife of almost 14 years that I love more deeply every single day and two beautiful kids who are learning to express themselves in wondrous and exciting ways. So, I guess what I am saying here is I have done pretty well at being someone that others can count on.
I miss my mom and felt like a failure after she passed because I could not keep the peace between my family and dad. At almost 40 years old, I finally realized something. It may only take one to fight a battle, but it takes two to keep the peace. I did my best to do my part. It's time to be okay and accept what has happened. It is time to move on. It is time to be the creative person that I want to be again. Maybe this will get me started at writing again...maybe not.
Talk to you soon...Wayne