Ok, so, where were we? Well, nowhere actually. We've only just begun. That was just a cheap segue to link the blog prior to this one, where I talked about changing education through comedy. It was absolutely riveting.
But it is true. I did want to, and I still do, so I left teaching. I really wanted to take a calculated approach to my desire for change, so I started breakdancing. Sorry, that was misleading. I took a breakdancing class thinking students would pay more attention to what I was saying if I was breakdancing and doing comedy at the same time.
The Breakdancing Blunder: Resilience in Education and Comedy
I know, genius, right? I was pretty impressed with this plot. Nothing could stop me. Well, except the actual learning of the breakdance moves. That Debbie-downed on the plans real quick.
I did get to be "Mama Break" for a short time as I was the only one in the breakdancing class older than thirteen. They were chill classmates, and we represented Westside pretty tight. It really sucks being a little kid stuck in this adult body. Those were some dangerous, I would even say, life-threatening moments. I'm lucky to be alive. Let's just say the popping and locking did not unlock easily.
Writing Under Pressure: The Birth of Motivational Comedy
Let me give you some context so you don't think I'm crazy. I wanted to write a motivational comedy show and I’m a pressure worker. I need a deadline, so I booked two shows—one at the school I just quit and one at the school I taught at for the three years prior. I gave myself two weeks to write the show.
I had never written or performed a show before, so it seemed like a reasonable timeline… until it didn’t. Three days before the show, I had no show. I was a hot mess. The anxiety was from out of this world. What in the blazing hell was I going to do?
The Search for Inspiration: A Chair and a Hope
It occurred to me that if I had a comfortable chair, I could then write a show more comfortably. The comfortable chair would lead to comfortable sensations in my body that would then lead to the comfortable writing of a show. Logical, right? Now we're talking.
So, I took the one-hour metro trip to Ikea on the outskirts of Madrid and bought a comfortable office chair, making the foldable plastic chair I had been using a dark memory of my past. The fun part was I didn’t want to spend another 25€ (on top of the 80€ I had charged on my Visa to get the chair) to pay the transport van guys who stand outside the store, so I carried it the 15-minute walk to the metro and then walked it home. It was hell. My whole body ached. It was so heavy. My arms were bruised, along with my heart.
The Moment of Truth: From Rock Bottom to Revelation
At this point, I was pretty rock bottom. Things had taken a turn for the worse because now I had this chair, and I didn't even know how to put it together (don't judge me; I was a hero saving the 25€). With one day left and no script in hand, I sat on the floor next to the disassembled pieces of my chair, wondering if my leap into comedy was just an elaborate way to self-sabotage.
But then, as clichés go, inspiration struck. The absurdity of my situation—sweaty, bruised, surrounded by chair parts—became a story. It was real, it was relatable, and most importantly, it was funny. I began writing about the chaos, weaving humor into every moment of my experience, from breakdancing fails to my desperate Ikea mission.
The First Show and the Power of Resilience
By the time I walked onto the stage, I was exhausted, nervous, and had no idea how the audience would react. But as I told my stories, the laughter began, and it built with each punchline. The blend of my struggles and humor resonated with them. The show was far from perfect, but it was mine.
What I learned from that experience was invaluable: resilience in education isn't just for students; it's for teachers and anyone trying to make a change. Sometimes, the best lessons come from moments when everything goes wrong.
So, if you're thinking of starting something new or making an impact in your own way, remember: you might need a comfortable chair and a touch of humor. And if that doesn’t work, there’s always breakdancing.
Now, when I watch breakdancing at the Olympics, I can’t help but feel a small twinge of pride. Sure, those athletes make gravity-defying moves look easy. But if there was an event for “Best Attempted Breakdance That Leads to Stand-Up Comedy,” I’d be a shoo-in for gold.
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