How Do You Define Love?
Tags: love, Saskatoon, Saskatoon comedians, stand up comedy, stand-up comedy, The Stand-Up Diaries, trevor dean, Trevor Dean comedian, trevor dean saskatoonIf you do a search in Websters Dictionary for the word love, you get several definitions.
Click on this sentence for the definitions of love.
As you can see, the “L” word has a broad scope to which it covers. I have found that my definition of love changed over time, be it for better or for worse, but it’s still love in the end. It’s funny, but until you are in love, whether it be with another person or with something you do, one does not realize the many forms that love can take. That’s why time is our greatest teacher. The present blinds us to true wisdom that only time and perspective can give us. It’s still love regardless of the intensity of the feeling. It’s still love regardless of which one of the several definitions you choose to associate with.
There have been two loves of my life, as most of you who know me well can attest to. They would be the relationship I had and stand-up comedy. If you look at the definitions of love that I posted, both started out on different parts of the definition and, each took their own unique journey to where my interpretation of the word “love” sits now.
For the purpose of this writing we shall focus on the love of comedy. That’s right. I said that I love comedy. I didn’t think that was possible, I figured it was a war of attrition, too tiring, too draining, too emotional to be something I love. I remember writing that it was something I hated. If I didn’t put it that way then maybe I gave the impression that it’s something I continue to do in spite of.
Keeping the Websters Dictionary definitions in mind, when I first got into comedy I loved it. It was more than love, it was energizing. That was definition #3.
I think in hindsight it was more energizing to me in the beginning because none of my core group of friends had any experience with it. I was going to be the first one to dive in head first and go all in.
Through all of its ups and downs, the love I now have for stand-up is from definition #2. It’s more of a love affair with the art of stand-up, or maybe it’s better to call it a devotion? My devotion to comedy at its core is unwavering despite the periods of self-doubt and low points.
I have come to realize that branching out into Carnac The Mediocre and studying the art form of comedy more than anyone from around these parts, that it is a love based out of a deep devotion to comedy itself.
Maybe, just maybe if I read the dictionary more often I could gain even better perspective and clarity on some of the key questions I have in my life. For this particular love I received clarity and realized where I really stood as far as my feelings towards comedy go. Devotion. Yeah, I kind of like that word. My love for comedy is based out of a deep devotion to it.
That’s good. I gotta write that one down.