Laundry Anyone?

So the semester has finally come to a close for me, and I’m excited to get a small break. Exams and final paper are never fun, but the end justifies the means!

Last week I was working out on one of those elliptical machines that have a TV on them. (Yes an elliptical, I got knees that I still want to use when I’m older and playing high school soccer didn’t help much.) I was watching Larry King Live and he had comedian Dane Cook on. I don’t know how I started watching it, but I think it was because the caption said “Started doing comedy in a Laundromat”. I listened to Dane describe how he used to go in to the Laundromat and go through routines because the facility provided him with a free audience that couldn’t really go anywhere. He described how he would go in and go through his routine. Sometimes people would laugh, and sometimes they wouldn’t. A lot of times people would just stare at him, but he got the opportunity to practice his craft and eventually got better.

I thought to myself, “that’s interesting”. How many times do I visit the “Laundromat” to perfect my craft? (Not literally, but you know what I mean.) Am I making the most of opportunities, starting out in what may be humble beginnings in order to rise patiently through practice?

I’m sure that performing in the Laundromat was difficult. Think about how your stomach would feel as you sit in the car and watch the people inside. You run through your routine one last time, and then open the door to the breeze outside. Some kind of way you move your legs to get you to the door, and as you open it you know you’re not there for laundry. As you take a deep breath, you look around at the people focused on their clothes. You open your mouth, and start your routine. That may have been a dramatic description, but the point is that it took guts for him to do that and now I’m watching him on Larry King Live.

Chasing your dreams is all about having the guts to go after it. I know I’m building my “no fear” level to do what seems crazy every day. It is great to hear stories of the pay off at the end of the tunnel though! What have you done that took guts for catching your dream as of late?