"The Metro North train to New York City got stuck due to torrential rains, which meant that I missed one of the few "Ladies Night" open mics of the week. I usually travel three hours round-trip, then pay $5 to get five minutes of stage time. That night, I had traveled five hours to miss five minutes on stage. I got a delicious cup of coffee at Grand Central Terminal for those five bucks, though."
"At 68, I am launching a career as a comedian. I've spent the last 42 years working in Information Technology; no one outside my industry knows exactly what I do. My parents went to their graves wondering. I paid the bills, got married, bought a house, and had kids. In my free time, I wrote humorous essays and performed comedy in obscurity, with little to no compensation."
"I chased laughs even as a kid. As the middle of five children, I was the family jester and the only chubby one, and humor was one way I could get attention in a crowded field of brilliant, talented, average-sized siblings. My family laughed at my jokes and loved to see me onstage, even if that stage was the local Y's all-purpose room."
A 68-year-old longtime Information Technology worker is launching a career in stand-up comedy after 42 years in IT. The nightly routine includes traveling long distances to open mics, paying small fees for short stage time, and coping with delays and missed opportunities. Performances happen in back rooms of dingy bars alongside diverse, often younger performers while friends pursue leisure activities. Childhood experience as the family jester and a habit of writing parody songs and humorous essays shaped comedic instincts. The new comedy pursuit involves persistent practice, minimal pay, and a feeling that life is just beginning.
Read at Business Insider
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