I’m leaving Philadelphia for Chicago in a month or so, and the impending relocation has made me reflect on my time in Philly, so pardon the nostalgic tone of the next couple of posts.
Since moving to Philadelphia, I’ve met or exceeded almost every comedy goal I’ve set for myself. And yet, I’m no happier or more satisfied now that I was in 2007, when I was crossing my fingers to make the Helium list once a month.
I think this is because the goalposts keep moving in my mind. As soon as I got a hosting spot at Helium, I wanted to feature. Now that I’m featuring at Helium, I’m annoyed that I can’t get into other clubs just as easily. The second I get a joke to work, I want to write the next one. I hope to God I can make a living from comedy, but I’m sure that even if I was touring theaters I’d be dissatisfied about not having a TV show or an HBO special or something.
This is why you have to love the process. The shitty, gritty get-up-every-night process of turning a thought into a joke, a joke into a bit, a bit into an act, an act into a career. This is one reason why all my friends are comedians. I love talking about a new joke, or a tweak to an old one, or how maybe I could thread these two ideas together into my piece on being a teacher.
I have little patience for people who don’t enjoy the process. These people are essentially stand-up tourists, just looking for comedy shortcuts. Shortcuts to what? The struggle is what makes this rewarding. The struggle is why I do comedy. The accomplishments are just signposts that I use to justify to myself (and my family) that I’m not a total waste of space. I got on TV once. Congratulations me. But this new bit I’ve been working on…
I completely agree with you. Any time I accomplish something, I immediately readjust my expectations. Which sucks. But I also agree with you that I enjoy doing standup, and the process of doing it is always enjoyable, no matter where my expectations are. Which seems like a good sign that I’ll enjoy comedy even if my expectations are never met. Plus, I love talking about my dick on stage, and embarrassing strange couples by asking them if they’re on a date.