Character: GUS, fortyish, a struggling comedian.
GUS: I heard that psychiatrists recommend to do the things you’re afraid of. If you’re afraid of elevators, spend a day riding them. If you’re afraid of flying, take some time traveling on planes. I’m afraid my kids will end up on the street begging, so I took them out to try it. It was cold. It was demeaning. But we made over hundred bucks. Alone I probably would’ve made no more than twenty, but with the kids there, people just opened up. It got me thinking maybe I should beg more often. Like when we need some clothes or have to pay rent or want to go to Disney World — just take the family to the street for a bit of revenue. It’s therapy that pays you.
That didn’t really happen. But you have to admit it’s a pretty good idea. If you’re poor. And desperate. Are there poor people who aren’t desperate? The happy poor? It sounds like one of those kid’s books in a series.
(AS AN ANNOUNCER) The Happy Poor Go Dumpster Diving, part two.
Not making it is hard anywhere. But not making it here, in a country so obsessed with success, is harder. It’s like we’re running with weights. Underwater.
I wonder if there’s a country that doesn’t care about success? Where they welcome people who struggle with open arms. But then ... who would want to live in a country full of those people?
