Blog: Connecting Through Comedy

“I’m so bummed we only have three more weeks together!”

“Seriously. Shut up.”

Ok, maybe my response was a little harsh, but given the circumstances, I feel it was appropriate. Allow me to explain:

The summer before my eighth grade year, my mom enrolled me in the Comedy On Your Feet class through the Coterie Theatre because I was socially awkward and she didn’t want me wasting my summer sitting around indoors. Needless to say, I wasn’t looking forward to it at all.

I was one of two girls. And also the quietest kid in the bunch. I kept to myself for the most part, and participated when necessary. But I guess the teacher liked me, because he invited me to be a part of the Coterie’s Comedy Master Class that following school year. And even though being around a bunch of kids who were older and funnier than I was was a terrifying thought, I told my parents I wanted to join the group.

The first few months didn’t differ from the initial summer class: I was awkward and shy and over thought everything so as not to look like the lame eighth grader amongst the group of cool high school juniors and seniors. But as the class progressed, I realized just how goofy everyone was, and how little they cared about how “cool” you were. Essentially, it was my perfect environment.

Comedy Masters has gotten me to accept the fact that I’m a little weird, and that I speak before I think and I rotate through a series of accents throughout everyday speech; it’s gotten me to accept myself and appreciate the life I’m living. My weeks feel empty if I don’t have comedy class from six to eight on Sunday nights. I am absolutely in love with every single one of my Comedy Master classmates. No matter how terrible my week was, Comedy Masters always has a way of brightening my day and making me laugh so hard I cry or pee myself a little bit (sometimes both).

And recently, everyone has been reminding me that my time with the Comedy Masters will be coming to an end. What has been the highlight of nearly every week for the past five years will be completely out of my life in a matter of weeks. I never thought that I could grow so attached to a class or group of people in my entire life, but Comedy Masters has managed to sink itself into my heart with no intention of leaving anytime soon.

I’m so excited to see what the future has in store for me. I’m ready to get out of Kansas and see the world. But I’m going to miss Comedy Masters more than I could possibly express to you in this blog, and the thought of not having my Sunday night safety net once a week is a little horrifying.

I feel as though everything I’ve written here is grossly clichéd, but I am being absolutely sincere about every word I have placed in this post. So, thank you, my comedy babies. I love you all tremendously.