STAY AWAKE: NEW YEAR ENDING

2010 ends today.

New Years' Eve is a big night for working comedians. I hear of agents and bookers constantly seeking available comedians to host parties, events and perform at clubs on this last night of the year. I suppose even comics want to spend time with their families during the holidays, and the number of available comedians to perform drops on this night; making the other comedians willing to perform, more valuable.

Personally, I will be attending some festivities in my local city with my family this evening. If I had been more consistent in 2010, I can imagine my family making a compromise to allow me to perform on this night, provided I had spent quality time with them earlier in the holiday.

As the countdown begins, I'm sure that I will be looking forward to the coming new year and making plans or conjuring dreams of what 2011 will have in store for me. I, generally, become a bit melancholy at this time in regards to what I want out of life and what I have achieved and I make those cliche' resolutions to improve my life and change my habits. Sometimes I get results, sometimes, not.

One such resolve for 2011 for me will be to stay awake. Not drift off in the middle of the year. Not settle in. Not hibernate through the long winter and emerge in the Spring with "sleep" still in my eyes. Not to look around and go back to bed.

Driving down the interstate, I see small triangular yellow signs warning drivers to STAY AWAKE. In 2011, I will not be caught asleep at the wheel.


Photo by Shondra Hull