Last year I made the decision to move to Chicago resulting in untold levels of personal trials and upheavals I'd honestly rather not discuss (for then they will be told you see). Long story short I'm thirty, going on thirty-one, single and hanging on by a thread.
So I decided it's time to knock a few things off my bucket list. Firstly, I finally took the plunge and am trying my hand at stand-up. It's been...a thing. I've been scribbling in notebooks and thumbing my phone instead of typing out my vitriolic film school snobbery to no one in particular; that is if/when the mood hits me. I need to stop doing that. There's no such thing as writers block dammit! There's only good writing and crappy writing. When inspiration strikes, it's good - when it doesn't write anyway!
Same goes for jokes, a sentiment I am only now starting to intenalize. So far I have two surefire doozies that work in any environment:
Joke One:
At this point I've been single so long, I've been ordering my undershirts 2 sizes too small just to remember what it feels like to be hugged.
Joke Two:
I recently dated a Free-gan. For those of you who don't know what that is, it's someone who eats out of the garbage but still feels like they can judge you.
Funny? Sad?
The rest are a mixed bag of creaky observations, tired cliches and too-close-for-comfort musings on depression and anxiety. Still, I'm muscling through as best I can. It can be hard to constantly try your darnest and fail miserably. What's more, Standup is a pretty lonely pursuit having to rely solely on your own creativity and wit to make any headway. Regardless I'm not going to give up no matter what my bank account tells me!
In other news I've decided to run the upcoming Chicago Marathon. Why? Well my reasons are many but it all boils down to staying motivated. I was once told I have a talent for big projects and taking the long view on things. In that spirit, I'm taking the time to train and muster up the courage to run 26.2 miles in about 220 days.
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| If this doesn't kill me, maybe Running of the Bulls will... |
I will be running on behalf of Latinos Progresando a non-profit that offers resources, education and legal representation for immigrants in the Chicago area. I chose a cause that was important to me as a Latinex American and an American that was born overseas. Moreover, I chose Latinos Progresando because I'm a human being and was appalled by the callous actions taken by the Trump administration a la child separation and deportation.
If you want to donate please do so here:
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| https://www.flipcause.com/secure/fundraiser/NDM2NzQ=/30987?fbclid=IwAR0IvxhAnVZOursuhKvAJKO6ZMmpLDo0DXsmjqGYBB3Q5uHbf8Bhe9vG5ck |
Also keeping me motivated is my friend Aly who has decided to go through this ordeal with me. Arguably she has a better reason than I do. She's fundraising on behalf of the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network. Check out her progress on:
https://impact2nded.wordpress.com/2019/03/02/trauma
Then donate you cheapskates!
https://fundraise.rainn.org/fundraiser/1811880
To give myself added motivation I've decided I'm going to give myself some incentives. Popcorn in Hell originally started as a movie blog and that won't technically change. But instead of watching as many new releases as I can, I will instead be resurrecting an old experiment from a few years back. I will be doing a mix of old favorites and first time watches and incorporating them into my easy runs. I'm lucky enough to have a treadmill in my apartment which means I can stay upright, hoofing it while staring at a TV screen and listening at a volume my roommates will find grating.
I'll keep everyone abreast of my progress and that will be my carrot as it were. I guess I'll have to figure out what my stick is later.
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