No, not me. When I started my career it was with this dude who was at the time my best friend. We did open mics, wrote material and hung out together talking about comedy and dreaming of one day being something special. We chose separate career paths, he worked with promoters and I opted for agents and managers, essentially he took the short cuts and I built relationships. I warned him time and time again about the company he kept but he never listened, it was too much for me to maintain the relationship so we drifted apart. He started promoting shows with drug money and got into a lot of trouble with the company he kept, that combined with a weapons/possession/distribution charge he went to prison for 18 years...and just got out. I'm stressing over the inevitable, I will see this guy soon. He is doing comedy again and has been asking around about me. I'm uncomfortable because I don't know what jail has done to him, and because I never tried to contact him when he was there...it's a combination of caution, embarrassment and for some reason guilt. Where would you go from here?
AB, Meet with him, he probably wants to tell you that you were right all along. You don't owe him anything, just say hi, wish him luck, and go your seperate ways. DD
if it was me, i'd avoid him. if you happen to run into him, just be honest and tell him you couldn't afford to be associated with his scene.
Dude, give him another chance. Who knows? He might have seen the error of his ways. It happened to Tim Allen. If he's still running in the same circles, drop him. But he might be wanting to get back in touch with you because you were one of the good guys.
I side with Fatty Fat b*stard on this. How long has it been since you saw him? Was it really 18 years or more than that? He might think you're down on your luck, and that he's doing better... just let him know you're still STRAIGHT. I saw that movie and remember the scene... but... um, no. The ellipses didn't tell you anything ? There are pauses in between the words. I should have mentioned it's actually "HER" instead of "HIM"... HINT: it's not a human saying this in the movie.
I'm confused. I thought you were a cop first and went into comedy not that long ago. It wasn't 18 years ago was it? Or, was his sentence 18 years, but he's paroled well shy of that amount of time?
hang out with the guy, maybe you guys will click instantly and come up with some good fodder. maybe you will just relive the glory days reminiscing. i just linked up with an old friend who spent 4 years in jail and a drug-related prison sentence. yet, he's the one with a home, a wife, and a beautiful daughter. and he is dedicated to being sober. it was a great visit, because our friendship was put on hold when everyone realized this guy was on a path of self-destruction. are you worried in the back of your mind that he wants you to plug him back in?
Do not feel guilty. He chose the path that he traveled...not you. I would try to reach out to him, cautiously. Let him know you'd like to re-establish the relationship, but definitely take it slow. He's had a long time to think about what he did...if he's a true friend, he'll explain himself to you and allow the bridges to be rebuilt. Otherwise, it's still ok to drift apart again. Stay on your straight and narrow...do not let anyone else pull you off your chosen path. Good luck!
18 years?!? Holy crap. The guy sounds like those people on Facebook who add everyone they have ever had contact with as their friends.
I was a cop from 1986-91 I started doing open mics in 88 but didn't really take it seriously until after I left the department. I was a PI for 4 years and became a full-time comic in 95. I've been in the business for a while. Tim Allen is a great example Fatty. That's more helpful than you know. THX Great post. Nah, my path will always be straight and narrow, I have 12 year old staring at me everyday.
You married a 12-year-old!?!?!?!? You should be in YOUR OWN JAIL DILEMMA for that, sir!!!! Yes, you can use that one.
I saw AB circa 1995 at the Laff Stop so he has been in comedy long enough. EDIT: Oops, didn't see AB's response. Nevermind.
