History

When I was in college, I said one of the funniest things I've ever said. I was talking to a group of women in my sorority, and I was describing where someone was, and ad libbed: "Chrissy in the living room with the lead pipe." Result: uproarious laughter. 

Afterwards, Karen came up to me and said, "You are so funny. You should try out for the Mee-Ow Show."

The Mee-Ow Show was a hilarious and brilliant improv and sketch comedy show. Karen's comment was a major compliment, but I had wildly conflicting thoughts. 

My first thought was "Yes, that would be totally awesome."

My second thought was "Hell no."

I bounced back-and-forth between those two thoughts. I am still bouncing back-and-forth between those two thoughts

Northwestern has one of the most famous drama programs in the country, along with Yale, USC and NYU. There were lots of past, present and future famous alums. Drama students very often filled those roles.

I was not a drama or theatre or radio/television/film major. 

I was a math and history major, which is approximately 36,000 miles from studying acting. I was freakishly intimidated to attempt to try out. In high school, I tried out for the Children's Play, the one that they trouped around to all of the elementary schools. I didn't get a part in that; how on earth would I have gotten cast in anything at NU?

Do I regret not trying out, giving it at least a failed shot? Maybe taking an improv class or two back then? 

Yes.

And then last week at my improv class, the teacher mentioned that the most common college major for improvisors in the past thirty years...

History.

WTF?

Seriously? 

Now I am told this, not when I was twenty?

I fact checked this with one improvisor who I saw at Second City in the 1990's: Steve Carell.

He was a history major at Denison, a small liberal arts college in Ohio.

It is like the time I was at a high school reunion and saw that the cutest guy in the school married a chick who looked just like me. Like a carbon copy. And he came up to me and said hi like we were friends after not like really talking to me much in high school.