10.11 Dispatches
I send out a newsletter every month with information about what I’m up to. It’s fun and short and I’d like to try and interest more people to join. For the next few months, I’m going to post what I wrote in the newsletter the week after it’s sent out. You can have a look and see if this is something you might want to appear in your inbox every month. Scroll to the bottom to sign up.
My pet fish is a real jerk!
Things are rolling again.
There's been a surge in interest with Stories We Don't Tell. There are new faces in the audience and new voices sharing stories. It's so amazing to be a part of this event that has become an unintentional community. We all go up and down with the various things in our lives. Sometimes we're more enthusiastic, other times we could use a break.
With a renewed interest in the event, it helps those of us putting it together to keep going. I'm so very grateful that I met the people that I started the event with, and that we still get excited about putting it on. I've met some incredible people, both in the audience and the good fortune of working directly with people on their stories. We've only got two more events left - the next one is on March 30th - and we're on summer vacation. We weren't sure about this summer break, but actually, it helps us regroup, reassess, look at how we can make things better, and evolve the event.
Speaking of Stories We Don't Tell, since I wasn't telling a story at the last event, I asked my colleague if I could host. For some reason, I got it in my head that I wanted to warm up the audience with some standup. Now, I am a big comedy fan, however, I have exactly zero aspirations to pursue it. I'm very happy in my little corner of the storytelling world. The last thing I need to do is heap on my shoulders the anxiety of open mics. It was incredibly challenging to write five minutes of material. I'm used to storytelling where you can provide context and explain details. With standup, it's all - set up, punchline. Make'em laugh. What I did enjoy was the wordplay - trying to find that perfect word. And, how to make things as tight as possible. A big chunk of the set was about how my fish, Francis, is a real asshole. Here’s an excerpt:
I may be single, but I’m not alone. I’ve got a pet fish - Francis. The only problem is that he’s kind of an asshole. I talk to him all the time, ask him how his day went. He just stares at me. Never asks me how I am. Asshole. I was going to get him a companion, you know, so one of us in our house might find happiness. But, he’s a Betta fish, and I read that if I put another fish in the tank with him, he’d try and eat it. Not only is he an asshole,he’s also a cannibal.
Let’s imagine that you and I met, we started dating, and fell in love. And you said to me over a romantic dinner, “Hey, I think it’s time we thought about moving in together.” And I looked into your eyes, and said, “I’m really sorry, but I can’t ... because ... I might eat you.” I think,you would consider me an asshole.
Groundbreaking stuff.
Finally, for the third year, I'm on the board of directors for Skate Canada's David Dore Mentorship Fund. The applications are open, and I wrote an article for the Skate Canada website about it. This is something I'm really proud to be a part of, so have a read, and think about donating.
As always, thanks for the support. Pat yourselves on the back. Below are some links to get you started.
