Into Each Life, A Little Rain Must Fall

Yes, into each life a little rain must fall, and that's why we are constantly surrounded by drips. This little bon mot came to me as I stared out into what the weather forecasters have been assuring us, for days leading up to and including today, is the Storm of the Century. This may or may not turn out to be true, but since the Century is only a few years old, I suppose we can have our fun while the sun remains obscured by clouds.
All of this inside time has given me a chance to reflect on what I have learned over vacation. A couple of nights ago, my wife registered shock at the funny bit that I had just shared with her. Again, she felt moderate surprise at the fact that something I said wasn't stolen from some other funny person, or quoted as homage to someone more clever than I. After a brief bit of reassurance on my part, she suggested (as she does every few years) that this should be the year that I go ahead and take a chance at getting up on stage to do comedy.
Here's where this idea falls apart: I have been reading a lot of books over the past couple of weeks, and while this alone would not keep me from launching a standup career, the subjects of two of the books that I have read would. "Born Standing Up", by Steve Martin, details his childhood and early jobs as a magician before hitting the big time for what amounted to a five year stay at the top of standup comedy. He was a rock star and all he really wanted eventually was out.
Equally engrossing but still oppressive was "Schulz and Peanuts: A Biography" by David Michaelis. This man who gave me such joy as a child and laughter shared with my family and friends was such a misanthrope, that it made me rethink some my own reactions to the cartoons I read in my youth. "Sparky" Schulz had a lot of demons to work out, and he seemed quite content to use his daily newspaper comic strip to exorcise them.
And so, as I watch the rain continue to fall, I am grateful for a sense of humor that provides me with a few chuckles now and then, along with the various individuals I tend to drag along for the ride. I am also grateful to know where the "off" switch is.