My husband and I used to do everything together. We went to college together, wrote scripts together, got jobs together, and had a family together. But somewhere in there, we’d lost the things that were just for the two of us. Many thanks to Heather Caliri at A Little Yes for challenging me to talk about a “yes” that helped us reclaim what we were missing.
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At first the “yeses” were simple. “Yes, let’s find something to do together that doesn’t include the kids.” And “Yes, I’ll find a babysitter.” And “Yes, I’d love to go to a SpeakeasyDC open mic with you.” My husband’s dream had always been to do stand-up comedy, and getting involved with storytelling seemed like the perfect way in. Plus it was a great chance to support him in an active way, and supporting him was something I found joy in. Something I was good at. In the supporting role I was never the one in the spotlight, never the one taking the risks. But as his wife and writing partner, I got to help him craft his story and bask in his success. It was safe, and I always said “yes” to safe.
But I must have miscalculated somewhere along the way, because I found myself saying “yes” to attending a storytelling class with him. I knew my husband wouldn’t want to stay in the audience for long, but I hadn’t considered what that would mean for me. I agreed to go, hoping that the class would foster his love for being on the stage, and that I’d be able to slip back into my seat and wave from there. What I hadn’t anticipated was that a tiny part of me—the me who used to love the spotlight—would want to get on the stage as well. But the idea of being vulnerable enough to share a true story about myself in a public venue scared me almost as much as the prospect of childbirth.
Read on at –> A Little Yes
