Stories: Growing up a Comedian

Hey Random Army,

Well while I was writing another posting... I thought of this story... which I had totally forgotten about. However it does shed some light on how my "voice"/ style started out at an early age.

First let me give you a little background. I was a freshman in high school. And as you can probably guess I was a really skinny kid. I was living in seattle and Kurt Cobain was the center of my world... aka typical seattle kid.

The school I went to do had a bunch of portables where class would be held... and the class that I was in was "Speech" which I can promise you I didn't get an A in. I dont remember much of the class... just that we would do "lessons" like "Learn how to read picture books to kids" and that kind of BS. (Can you tell my teacher was a women?)

Anyways we get a "lesson" to interview one of our fellow students and then write a speech and then present it in front of the class... now this was year and years ahead of myspace and facebook etc. So people weren't as open with their thoughts and feelings...

So I get pair up with a girl, who was a Sophomore, and all I could get out of here was like "I live in Lynnwood" etc etc etc... nothing interesting.

So then I go back and start writing my speech... and the teach had always harped on us.. have a good "Opener" and she would sit in the back of the room, marking her little piece of paper for a yes or a no .. on all the different parts of a speech you should have... I cant remember them now.. but it was like Opener, Middle.. etc etc Close. (Really who cares)

So I get up to deliver my speech and here is my opener as best I can remember is (I'm saying this head straight down to the paper, not looking up... you can picture it)

"Hello, My name is Random Vaughn, Did you have the opportunity to interview a person who is a national chess champion, or scored a perfect 1600 hundred on their SAT's, or at 3 year was hit by a runaway bus and lived? NO? Neither did I.... I interview ....

The class went crazy... I think some of them were so shock... because I read this completely serious, dead pan, and head down... giving the appears of complete seriousness. (This was the time when I did nothing put love extremely dry english humor.)

Anyways... just thought I would share that... it's of true story of what someone's life looks like growing up a Comedian.