Thursday Night at the Comedy Club

Well, it’s Thursday again, which means I’m hoping to make it to the Mesquite Comedy Club tonight.

I say hoping because apparently going somewhere and actually getting there are two completely different things in my life.

I always have plans to go. I tell myself, Tonight I’m getting out of the house. I’m going to do something different. I’m going to be around people.

Because, let’s be honest, my normal routine isn’t exactly a travel documentary. It’s mostly me sitting on the couch, playing guitar, writing jokes and wondering what day it is.

But I like going to the comedy club. Not necessarily because I get to get up there and tell jokes. Five minutes is a surprisingly short amount of time when you’ve spent the entire week coming up with things you think are funny.

You get five minutes and suddenly you’re standing there thinking, Well, I guess I better explain the giant penis now.

 A while back, I went to Austin to pick up my nephew. I had originally wanted to check out some comedy clubs while I was there, but he thought it was still early and suggested we go check out a lake.

I figured, Sure. Why not?

It was a nudist lake.

Now, I have nothing against nudists. Everybody has their hobbies. Some people play golf. Some people collect coins. Some people apparently just walk around a lake completely naked.

I just wasn’t prepared for it.

I don’t know if I would describe the experience as “fun” so much as eye-opening.

Literally.

I ended up dreaming about a giant penis chasing me down a hallway for about a week afterward. I had to take extra anxiety medication just to get through the week.

That’s one thing nobody tells you about going to a nudist lake:

You may leave the lake, but the lake does not necessarily leave you.

And that’s really what I like about comedy. I’m not sure I’m a traditional joke writer. I think I’m more of a storytelling comedy writer.

My stories may not always be what you would call “funny.” Sometimes they’re just strange. Sometimes they’re uncomfortable. Sometimes they’re me making questionable decisions and then writing about them later.

But I always hope they’re entertaining.

I know a lot of comedians who want to make it in comedy. Some want to get famous. Some want to make a living doing it. Some want to get on television or tour the country.

And I think that’s great.

Me?

I’m almost 60.

At this point in my life, my ambitions are a little more manageable.

I want to tell some jokes.

I want to play my guitar.

I want to sit on the couch.

And every once in a while, I’d like to leave the house and see what kind of trouble I can turn into a story.

If I can make some money doing comedy, I certainly won’t complain. If somebody wants to tip me, I have a website where you can do that.

But honestly, money isn’t really the reason I do it.

If I get up on stage and tell a story and one person laughs, that means something to me.

One laugh might not sound like much.

But when you’re standing under a spotlight, looking at a room full of strangers, and one person laughs at something that came out of your own head...

that’s payment too.

So hopefully I’ll make it to the comedy club tonight.

And hopefully I’ll get five minutes.

And hopefully nobody brings up the lake.

Because I’m still trying to get that damn hallway out of my dreams.

Great Amazon Deals  : Check it out   As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

                                                                Click Picture