What Childhood Trauma Led You To Be Funny?

Oh man, where do I start. To begin with, I had a pretty amazing childhood. My parents were tough and stingy with their affection but they provided me with a roof and, later in life, spoiled me with material goods.

Being a middle eastern kid with huge buck teeth (later braces) and big nose was not easy but the biggest obstacle I faced was bring short. I was “traumatized” because I was so short. I remember vividly that for junior high graduation, we graduated by height because thats how the rows would line up on stage “best” according to the program director. I was 4 ’11 and there was one girl shorter than me but because she was allegedly going to wear heels, I was the shortest one in my class (by half an inch) so I graduated last.

I hated being short. When I got to high school I was so afraid that I would be stuffed into my locker because thats what my friend’s older brother said would happen to me and I saw it happen in movies. While that never happened, I was still made fun of for being short. And I had to act like it didn’t bother me so I would deflect as best as I could.  

I was a late bloomer and always felt like an outsider so I just wanted to blend in. I just wanted to be part of the crowd and not singled out back then, so I would try to be funny and sarcastic and when I made people laugh, I felt a rush and for once, I felt…. tall.  

But honestly, my friends were funnier than me (still are?) and being funny on stage is different than being funny in real life. And when I got older (and taller), I didn’t want to be blend it. I leaned into my differences and embraced them.  Maybe those obstacles benefit me after all. ​