My son, Arlo, is 12 months old today. I was thinking it would be really cool if I had some amazing lesson I’ve learned or some story that relates to fatherhood and entertainment.
I can’t think of something like that.
Life of a father in quarantine hasn’t been simple and distant. It hasn’t been a cute thing that easily falls into a neat quip. It’s been wonderful and complex and way more engaged with my heart than my intellect. My main audience for comedy has been my wife and kid and that has been marvelous and rewarding.
He’s taken away so much of my ego and my need to be in control. He’s helped me understand how much more I don’t understand. He’s helped me take love and generosity more seriously while taking poop and planning less.
He’s been like a vacation. I feel less attached, less ambitious, less hustle. I feel a relaxed motivation and anticipation toward enjoyment.
I was thinking I would be pulled to define his personality and his trajectory in life, but I really see him as a blank slate. He’s just who he is and that is constantly changing. I hope that I can see more people this way, including myself.
I hope he can see me on stage this year and I hope he understands that his mom and I love to give joy to people.