I've Created a Monster

My summer plans for Holden this year included a crash course in comedy. This has required me to Netflix a series of "best-of" Saturday Night Live dvd's--the best of Chris Farley, Mike Meyers, Dana Carvey, and David Spade are the ones I have carefully screened, edited, and shown Holden so far. He already loves the "Best of John Belushi" from a few months ago. We've had a great time watching these shows, and Holden's sense of humor is blossoming, but, now he thinks he has to act like Matt Foley whenever he is around other people. And I don't know if you've noticed, but a lot of people don't know what you're talking about when you tell them they'll have plenty of time to be a writer when they're living in a van down by the river. I have to tell him "no Chris Farley" before I take him out in public, and don't get me started on how much he embarrassed me during my visiting teaching excursions yesterday. He tells me he can't help it. I tell him he'll have plenty of time to act like Chris Farley when....HE'S LIVING IN A VAN DOWN BY THE RIVER. I hope someday he amounts to more than JACK SQUAT.

As a side note, I still cry real tears when I think about Chris Farley's death, but it has been a good cautionary tale for Holden to avoid rolling those doobies.