I had always had a deep seated wish to do stand up comedy.  I was too lacking in self-confidence, too full of self-loathing and too stubborn and secretive to ever say it out loud. After my accident at age 20, I voiced my comedic leanings only in terms of jokes: at my expense.

My story went like this. I couldn’t be a stand-up as that was something I was no longer good at: the standing part. (ba-da-bump-bump) I would follow that up with the fact that I didn’t relish the idea of being seen, so getting on a stage was out of the question, and the unknown comic had already been done to death in the 70s!

I was 62 when I finally took the plunge. I had secretly wanted to do Stand-up since I was a kid. I enrolled in a comedy camp which led to my first gig: six minutes on stage at Yuk Yuk’s in Ottawa!   

Good news.. People laughed in all the right places.. I didn’t get booed off the stage. The club manager commented on my voice being too quiet.. And then he invited me to come back! (Insert Sally Field moment here)

In true “Well, why not fashion!”, I took a gig at Don’t Quit Your Day Job Comedy Night – Ottawa the next spring and once again enjoyed myself!  Although truth be told I’m not sure I’m cut out for going to work late in the evening!