It’s my birthday. Thank you, improv!
Sunday is my birthday. I turn 55 years old.
That is not a typo. It’s hard to believe, but it’s true.
In improv years, that makes me 104.
Even I am amazed I’ve been around that long, teaching and performing improv.
My life is not what I imagined it would be when I took my first improv class more than 34 years ago.
It’s actually better. I have gotten something I never had, something I never wanted, and that is a life.
A loving family.
A beautiful daughter, Betsy.
An amazing wife, Lauren.
A cat, Coco.
And I’m part of many supportive communities so I am no more than a phone call away from help.
So I would like to say thank you to improv for slowly teaching me what it means to say “Yes, And” in my life and stay out my own way so I could have a life larger than I ever imagined.
Thank you, improv, for showing me when I take my self too seriously, which is more than you think.
And most importantly, thank you to the people that I have worked with and met over the years, the friends I have made and the students I continue to get to work with.
A great scene in improv is one where we don’t know where it’s going to go. It’s equally parts scary and exciting, with some fun mixed in — not much different than my terrific life.
For those who knew me in the past, you’re probably like “What has happened to Jimmy? He used to be such a downer.”
He’s still there, but for today, and just like I have learned in improv, I decided to make the positive choice, and I have to say, it looks good on me.
I have one thing to ask you before you go, and that is in the comments section below if you could wish me a happy birthday, it would really help me with low self-esteem.