Imperfect Comedy

Sometimes we ask people to be perfect in light of our imperfect selves.

I have my fair share of flaws. I am compulsive, I lie unnecessarily, I am a bit of a narcissistic prick depending on the day. Sometimes I have to make everything about me, and when I don’t I want everyone to be selfless. I take a lot of things personally when I shouldn’t.

Even so, I look to people to be better than the struggles that they have faced in their lives. I expect them to be better than themselves when dealing with me. How dare you not be a good person to me, I am ADAM THOMAS.

This has been bothering me for a little bit now. It’s something I really have to change.

When I can’t tell anything about someones background, or what they had been through to get to where they are now, judging them on that behavior doesn’t award me anything. I should be able to take a break, and hold people to a standard that is in the moment.

I’ll be honest, there is a bit of a selfish motivator for me to try to frame myself in that state of mind.

To be able to be that detached can allow me to be a more caring thoughtful human being. Learning how to take that force, and like judo, guide opposite energy to energy for my cause should be something that pushes me to be a better person.

I think the perks of being that person is a little more contentment.

Being able to just go to work, come home, and be happy when I have a chance to be.

I would be able to make more connections, turn more friends instead of making more foes, and just be a helpful person.

I have realized when I am being genuinely helpful, I get things a little more. I get what I put out, so to speak.

I am hoping that I can make something like this happen. I don’t know how, or have a method yet, but I do feel like I can create some positive movement.

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I was talking with Phil, my roommate yesterday. He had just returned from a show, and we were discussing comedy as a business, and where he is as a comedian.

We discussed two things that stuck in my mind today, both things effect me as a comic, and would work well for me to know in anything else I do for the rest of the time I share this earth.

The first was shame.

He had just watched Kareem Green, another comic who works the club that he does. He watched him destroy the room, really put his foot into making the crowd laugh. He watched this after his own set, where he did well, but not as well.

Kareem seemed to be shameless.

I don’t mean that in a bad way, by the way. There is a freedom in being shameless in comedy. All the great ones were, from Carlin, to Pryor, to Rock.

What people seem to forget though, is that they all had dignity as well. Those two things aren’t tied at the hip. Great comics have no shame but are loaded with dignity. They are not clowns, but philosophers on the world that have taken a beating to get to where they are, and aren’t afraid to show the scars from it.

Letting go is what all of this is, the key to being a better comedian once you have the basics down. Being unafraid to let go, leap, forget the bounds of shame that try to hold you back and just trust that you are going somewhere. Takes years to master, but once you do, you have your shot at greatness.

The other thing is being able to take a loss. That is making me hurt. AS I said before my narcissism is going to have to eat this…Taking chances and asking people for things isn’t illegal. There is no extra prize at the end for making things harder on yourself.

Just go perform. Be friendly. And tack on ambition.

3 Things done
Wrap up done
To-do Done
Water not done
16/8 not done – 15/9.