Supporting A Friend

Tuesday April 29th, 2008 - Highland Park, IL

One of the greatest benefits I’ve enjoyed in a lifetime of being in and around comedy is having a stellar list of wonderful souls I’ve been able to meet and call friends. I have a lot of problems too but whenever I get low I know there are many people who I really admire and respect and am proud to have in my life. It gives me a glimmer of hope in the world.

I’ve found throughout my life that the people who have a good sharp sense of humor are the only people I truly care about. They are usually not only funny but also intelligent and there’s a heaping helping of kindness in the mix as well. They come in all colors and ages and ethnicities and they brighten everyone around them. I treasure these people in my life.

Many of them are comedians but a lot more aren’t. Teaching classes for as long as I did put me in contact with literally hundreds of people who had that spark inside of them and I never get sick of being around that. Some of them pursued comedy as a career but most of them just wanted to see what it was all about. I love staying in contact with all of them.

One of those people is Arif Choudhury. Arif took my class a few years ago and we have stayed in touch off and on like so many other students and I do. He is a CPA by day but is involved in all kinds of other stuff too. He’s dabbled in comedy and also is interested in a career in film making. A couple of years ago he also started storytelling. He stays busy.

Arif is one of my very favorite people. He’s laid back and a gentle soul and a person or audience can’t help but like the guy. His inner kid is always out and he’s about as easy to deal with as anyone I’ve ever met. Whenever I hear from him it always cheers me up.

All that being said I received an email from him today saying he was performing over at the Highland Park public library doing his storytelling material. He has always been really supportive of my comedy classes and has even recorded a few so I felt I owed it to him to return the favor and go and show support. That’s what friends do and I’m so glad I went.

He drew a nice crowd and had a very strong set which he recorded to put on a CD. He’s got some great stories and with his extreme likeability he really pulled off a super show. It wasn’t a standup comedy show but that’s not what he claimed it was. It was much deeper.

Here’s a dark skinned guy who’s Bangladeshi-American and a Muslim. Think he didn’t have any trouble after 9/11? I have my own problems but it’s not that. I remember back in class he had a long beard and it was pretty intimidating on stage. He had to deal with how he looked but he was so likeable and gentle that in a very short time people got over it.

Arif has really morphed into something more than a comedian. His presentation tonight was funny and informative and there is a real need for it. HE is the guy that should be on CNN explaining how all of us as people just want the same things. I was really impressed by how much work he put into his presentation and I was just proud to be his friend as we sat as a group being entertained and informed. People like Arif are why I keep slugging.