(image from here)
This week on the show I play more improvised funnies I made with my friend Russell, who died very unexpectedly two years ago. He portrayed my spiritual mentor the Rev Dr Howard Gently for many years starting in 2014. The recordings I'll share this week will be from 2017, the fourth year he appeared on the show.
We met at the place above. In or around 1981 I believe. It was then called Memorial Middle School. It's now called Memorial Pathway Academy. I really need to dig into my old yearbooks & scan better photos but this is all I got at the moment. Where you see the last letters of "academy" is the big gym. I suffered many phys ed classes in there. Did many awkward calisthenics. Russell was a year ahead of me so we never had to spend unpleasant times in p.e. together. He was a bit scrawny. I was a fat kid.
We met at the place above. In or around 1981 I believe. It was then called Memorial Middle School. It's now called Memorial Pathway Academy. I really need to dig into my old yearbooks & scan better photos but this is all I got at the moment. Where you see the last letters of "academy" is the big gym. I suffered many phys ed classes in there. Did many awkward calisthenics. Russell was a year ahead of me so we never had to spend unpleasant times in p.e. together. He was a bit scrawny. I was a fat kid.
The first time I became aware of Russ was in a Beta Club meeting at the end of my sixth grade year. I guess he was in seventh grade. Beta Club was or is some kind of precursor to the National Honor Society. I watched him being funny & wanted to be his friend. At some Beta Club gathering at someone's house we found ourselves in a bedroom talking about the Beatles. It was the first time I had met someone my age as obsessed with the Beatles as I was.
One thing's for sure, I don't believe either of us believed we'd stay friends for decades. Russell had so many qualities I admired - he was funny, he was a musician, he was creative. I was kind of a blob, amorphous, unformed, seeking out things I liked but not really thinking I could be a part of those worlds. Russell formed a band & wrote songs. I kinda scribbled & drew comics but never really finished anything. So you may say I was in awe of him.
Sometimes I wonder what he would think of me replaying all his bits. I think he might say, "Maybe don't air that one again. It's not that good." He could be very self-critical. But then as now I knew what I'd like & I would plow ahead - "I think it's funny!" I'd say - & he'd let me do it. Okay it seems I know what he'd think. But also I know he'd let me do it if I thought it was funny.
This is how I give myself permission to share these recordings with you.
Sometimes I wonder what he would think of me replaying all his bits. I think he might say, "Maybe don't air that one again. It's not that good." He could be very self-critical. But then as now I knew what I'd like & I would plow ahead - "I think it's funny!" I'd say - & he'd let me do it. Okay it seems I know what he'd think. But also I know he'd let me do it if I thought it was funny.
This is how I give myself permission to share these recordings with you.
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