My Son, the Comedian

Mitch Hedberg is very funny, but also very dead. I laugh at his jokes, I wince at his profanity. Yet compared to many, he's a boy scout. I learned of Mitch through my son, who as of last August (2005) developed an intense passion for comedy and is himself, a comedian. His professional career launched Monday, April 10, 2006 during open mic night at The Comedy Underground in Seattle. He was 21st in a field of 32 or so odd want-to-be and already-there comedians. Headliners bombed. Wannabes struggled and substituted intense profanity for actual humor. Standing out amongst them was a 16-year-old known as Collin. His name was called, he rose and strode to the stage. He took the mic and began his 3 minutes of original material. There were some laughs, more than some of the headliners had managed to produce. The red light flashed, and Collin sat back down beside me. It would be safe to say that I love this person, this comedian/student/bright star as much as anything if not more. I remember standing in my front room, entertaining my mother with my jokes and skits. Collin has stepped up and taken it farther. Last weekend, he performed again at a restaurant in Salt Lake City, Utah. I did not have the privilege of watching him perform, but I look forward to when he posts the videos of his time on stage. No matter what he does, he will shine in my eyes. That's the joy of being a father.