This Is For You.....Dad

Dear Dad,

I can’t believe it’s been over 7 ½ years since I received the phone call on that snowy January day. You left us too soon and you’re still missed by so many.

You must know what I’ve been up to the past several weeks – you would be so excited. I signed up for a class at the Comedy Castle called – “Stand-up Comedy 101.” It is a 6-week class that meets for a couple of hours on Saturday mornings. The class teaches you how to properly write jokes for stand-up and works with you on performing them on stage. After the six weeks are complete, everyone goes on stage to individually perform at a “Graduation Show” at Mark Ridley’s Comedy Castle. The class is now complete and we will be performing the evening of October 28.

During the first class, we all went on stage to introduce ourselves to each other. I let everyone know that this was the first time that I paid for the class, but by no means was it my first class. I was incredibly lucky to be raised in an environment where I was taught through your example, how to write a joke, perform it, and most importantly, how to use humor to be a positive influence in the lives of others. I didn’t fully realize the impact of that last part until after your passing. Yes, your funeral is still the only funeral anyone has ever heard of that held an “Open Mike Night” where so many people told stories of how your humor created a lasting impact in their lives. Never has anyone been to a funeral service where a packed room was filled with tears of laughter as each story was told. Since that time, I have continually been reminded of your influence whether I’m talking to relatives, friends or the occasional person I run into that says, “Was Joe Lico your father? I remember when he did…..” as they go on telling some funny story that they some how remember every detail of. Jim Rogers talks about how you were able to use your sense of humor as a healthy distraction after the funeral of his daughter. You had an amazing gift to be able to bring levity to a situation that was so tragic and do it in a way that created comfort. Jim still speaks of that moment with fondness and reverence.

The class has been a wonderful experience and you would have enjoyed it as much as I did. In a way, it was similar to Lico holiday gatherings at Grandma and Grandpa’s house on Alcoy – A bunch of funny people sitting around telling jokes while others shouted out humorous tags to add to the original joke. The laughter and camaraderie that developed in class was not new to me at all. In fact, it was very reminiscent of my youth, so part of me is sad that it is over. The good news is that I’ve developed some friendships that I trust will grow as we continue to meet and collaborate to work on new material. The additional residual effect of this whole creative process is that I wake up every morning with a smile as I seek out the humor in everyday life. In other words, live the way you lived your life every day.

It looks like there will be over 300 people in the audience at our graduation show. My years of public speaking experience has me prepared for the crowd. My years of learning comedy under your tutelage has me confident. So I’m ready. I’m doing this for my own personal growth and I’m doing this for you, dad – to carry on your legacy the best way that I can. So when I’m done with my debut I won’t look up for you, I’ll just look to my side – cause I know that’s where you’ll be the whole time. I love you, I miss you and I don’t know when I will see you next, but I promise you this – I won’t die on stage. ;-)

Love,

Tom