Time For A Tune Up

Tuesday June 2nd, 2009 - Lake Villa, IL

I’m about due for a major tune up in every area of my life from the ground up. I need to take a long, hard and honest look at myself physically, mentally, spiritually and especially comedically to see where I need to improve the most. I’m in my prime right now and I am in a race to see how much I can produce before I’m too old to matter. That day will come.

Hopefully it’s at least a little ways off yet but all I can do is keep forging ahead. I would like my life to be a case study generations from now on how someone can come from out of nowhere and achieve the highest levels of success in life in the areas that are important.

But what’s the definition of what’s truly important? That’s different for each of us and a lifelong challenge we all must face. Nobody can determine what’s really your own ‘thing’ other than you. For me it’s making people laugh and helping them live their big dreams.

I’ve done pretty well in that department but now it’s my turn to decide once again what is truly important to me at this stage of life. It used to be getting out on the road and going to comedy clubs every chance I got and maybe trying to get stage time to get a booking in the future. Now none of that interests me in the least. I still love performing but that’s it.

I don’t have the fire in my belly anymore to drive 750 miles in a car riding on borrowed time just so I can get on stage in front of a dozen or so drunks in some hillbilly biker bar. I don’t want to sound like a prude or an elitist but I‘ve paid my dues. I‘m way past that.

That was a stage in life and a good one but I don’t want to be doing it on the same level very much longer. If I travel I want it to be worth my while. I don’t need to go nine states away to work some backwoods hell hole when there are plenty of them in my back yard.

Chicago has a lot of people and I’ve always believed there’s a nice living to be made in the immediate area. I’ve done ok by staying here but I know I can do better. Being on the radio needs to pay off more. WGN is a huge station and it would sure help if I could use it to become at least a little bit of a draw in comedy but I haven’t figured out how to do that.

That’s why I think I need to reboot and revamp every area of my life so I can get it up to date. What do I want now? What’s realistic? Getting a sitcom is probably not going to be an option at this point for many reasons and that’s ok. I never really planned on it and I’m not disappointed. Mr. Lucky is a great stage character though and it’s still worth building.

All these things were running through my head today as I drove up to Milwaukee for an afternoon with the woman I really like. It was her day off of work and she’s been having a lot of stress there lately. We’ve been getting along very well lately and today was a blast.

She has a six year old son and we just hung out at her house for a day of low pressure fun. We played Monopoly and Wii and Jenga and it was all very enjoyable. It was exactly what I pictured, dare I say it, family life to be. That’s another thing I’d like to focus on.