Part 1 of 2. My pursuit of Comedy

The seed for my passion for comedy was planted in 2006... at a Funeral.
At my (maternal) Grandma's Homegoing Celebration, I was first to speak during the "Reflections" moment. I began by saying "Hello everyone. Just so you'd know... I didnt run up here first because I am my Grandma's favorite Grandchild, or because I'm handsome. But let's be honest... I AM my Grandma's favorite Grandchild, AND Im handsome. So let's move on." Everybody laughed! Then I carried on with the serious part of my message.

At the time, I didnt realize how powerful that moment was (for Me or for Others). I didnt even necessarily plan to start off that way. But I could see the sadness in a lot of people's faces since the celebration began. And then the thought hit me like... "Ok, when they let people speak, Im gonna run up and see if I could lighten the mood. Me and Grandma used to trip out about everything. She would love it if I could make them smile for even just a half-second. So I made up my mind to go up and say something friendlily and funnily narcissistic. *Im glad it went over well... cuz if they didnt find it amusing at all, my Grandma would have come down (or gotten up) and beat my butt for embarrassing her at her own party!

It would be a few years before that seed was watered... by the sheer arrogance of my own thoughts that I was funnier than the Headliners I saw at my local comedy club. So, I tried my hand at Stand-Up. My first performance was supremely humbling, cuz I def was not as funny as I thought. And I immediately realized it wasnt as easy as it looked (from a audience member's perspective). However, the laughs that I did get created a feeling that I cant justly put into words, but it was incredible!... I KNEW comedy was my calling.

Over the years, I've learned (for myself) that my Gift is bigger than the surface level "I-make-people-laugh". I mean... don't get me wrong... making people laugh IS a great deal. But the impact made from causing that laughter is far greater than the laughter itself. I never know what an Audience member is going through when I perform. Some of the most rewarding feedback I've got is from people who expressed to me that I had no idea how much my comedy helped to put them in positive spirits and to see things differently in their own lives. I even receive messages about how my social media posts had brightened someone's day and they "seriously needed that laugh". Those remarks are extremely special and dear to me. They remind me that my Gift does have a Purpose and it isn't just for me to be gratified simply because someone laughed.

As I continue to grow, both in my Faith and in my Talent, my prayer is that I continue to touch people beyond the "ha-ha", and bring a bit of joy in others' lives if even for the briefest of moments. I still have a long way to go in pursuit of my own comedy goals as well as using my Gift to serve God and His Purpose for me.

I thank God for the ability of being an Entertainer.
I thank God for Family, Friends, Fans, and other Supporters who pray for me and encourage me in this area.

#WontHeDoIt!