IMPACT the Pond You're In

Growing up in Kentucky, some of my fondest memories was the times spent fishing. Think Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn and you’ll get a glimpse of what summer was like for my brother and I. As the morning sun began to shine through the oak trees scattered through those Kentucky hills, two redneck boys could be found walking to a pond with fishing poles in one hand and bait in the other. Most mornings it wasn’t too long before one of us was bringing in a catfish which would immediately go on a stringer so we’d have it for supper that night. We would sit there all day telling stories about school, our buddies, and of course girls all while hauling in the fish. Those were some of the best summers of my life.

When the fishing slowed and the afternoon sun began to beat down on us, the daydreaming would begin. Staring out into the water with the birds fluttering and the squirrels playing in the trees behind us, many thoughts…dreams…would invade our minds. Although I never asked my brother about what he was thinking, I dreamed of great things. Thoughts of celebrity, being rich and having a mustang filled my mind. Those are still the dreams I’m pursuing in my quiet moments with a little variance but still, they’re my dreams. However, the fun really began when I would catch my brother in a trance, like he was in a whole other place.

My brother, Mike, loves fishing as much as I do…perhaps a gnats hair more. So when I’d catch him sitting there off in his own world I did what older brothers do…it’s in our job description...I’d trick him. I would pick up a small rock and toss it in the water just out of his line of vision. The sound of splashing as the rock hit the water always brought him back to the real world and the words, “Hey, was that a fish?!” were uttered almost immediately. Once he caught on to what I was doing, it became a rock throwing contest. Who could throw the farthest, the biggest or make the biggest splash. The fish weren’t biting anyway, so why not.

Soon we began skipping rocks, counting when the rock touched the water to see how many times we could make it skip. Who would go home that day as the best Rock Skipper of Boyd County? What a great way to spend a lazy summer afternoon. If you’ve never skipped a rock across a pond then quite frankly your childhood has been robbed of a great memory. It’s such an accomplishment to see a rock you’ve thrown skip 12 or 14 times across the water. As we played I noticed each time the rock hit the water it would make an impact. Ripples would spread across the water and it didn’t matter how small of a rock, there was always a ripple. That’s when I realized everything has an IMPACT.

Over the next several blogs I am going to write about how each of us can have an IMPACT - An IMPACT on our own lives, on the lives of others and especially on our careers, specifically as a comedian. IMPACT will be an acronym for Invest, Motivate, Purpose, Authenticity, Communication and Teamwork. Come back to see how YOU can I.M.P.A.C.T. the Pond You Are In.