Role Model

Last month I emailed this lady from Sherman Indian High School for a possible comedy show/motivational talk to give at my old high school and so far, I haven't heard back from her.

Usually when they don't email back, thats their polite way of saying, "we're not interested" . I'm use to rejection in show business because theres usually more demand then there is supply or plainly put, they just don't want me.

However, this is a gig that I really wanted. I have not been back to Sherman since I graduated back in 1992 and really theres no reason for me to go back. For a while, I did want to go back Sherman and be a Social Studies or Law teacher and maybe coach volleyball. Over the years I visited Sherman many times in my night dreams, being so familiar with the dormitory rooms, the swimming pool, the gymnasium, the palm trees, the cafeteria, the courtyard in front of Ramona Hall and always knowing that however distorted the campus was in my sleep, I always knew where I was.

Ironically, Sherman was the very first place that I saw a Native stand up comedian perform, I don't remember his name but his jokes were very Native.

From what I told, I guess the school is looking for alumni to comeback to share their success stories with the students. I'm pretty sure I have the right qualifications for the gig:

1) College Graduate
- I got my B.A. in American Indian Studies and Associate of Arts in Liberal Arts from Haskell Indian Nations University in Lawrence, Kansas.

2) Clean & Sober
- I've been clean and sober since 1998. Drinking was never my thing, I only did it to see what the big deal was and got sucked into it. Its not as easy to walk away from as most people think.

3) STD Free
- I have managed to keep a clean bill of health and not contract any sexually transmitted diseases.

4) Accomplished Stand Up Comedian
- 9 years experience, has been on television, played colleges, comedy clubs and has done many comedy benefits for different organizations, has been written about in several publications with the last one being in, "The Vangardist" , which is a gay mens magazine in Germany. I was actually very honored be asked to be apart of the Vagardist because they promote avante-garde artists from their respective backgrounds and for an International gay mens magazine to think I'm on the forefront with my work, I can't begin to show enough enough gratitude and appreciation for that recognition.

5) Pro Family Values, Pro Marriage for everyone, Pro Happiness as long as you're not hurting yourself or anyone around you.

I do know first hand what it takes to pursue your dreams and all the hard work it takes into getting the leg work done.

Like my friends I went to school, I'm well aware of the decisions that we make today and how they can impact our lives and the people around us.

I've seen the early deaths of friends and how they could have been prevented from making better choices.

To make a long story short, I've been there and know what works and what doesn't work.

And if I never get a chance to speak to the youth at large, I'm not going to lose sleep over it because somehow the young people that need my guidance always seem to find me. I guess thats the benefit of being the only visible Gay Native American stand up comedian because now other young two spirits have somebody to identify with.

And I will continue to take time out of my schedule to answer any questions they have about life, just like the elders before me who took time out've their lives to help me with mine.

So if anyone thinks I don't know what it takes to be a good role model, fuck you.

xoxo