I had to do a process essay for my English class, so I thought I’d share it. It’s about my trip to see Conan’s show in Chicago on June 14th. It’s basically what I’ve been trying to put into words for months now.
Enjoy!
Late-night television has always been a main stay in my life. It all started back in 2004, with my sister taping episodes of “Late Night with Conan O’Brien”. We would watch those tapes all the time. He was a tall, awkward, goofy, and red-headed man that just had a style of comedy that stood out from the rest. For some reason, the both of us had become attached to his show. Although my attention to him dwindled, I had always followed Conan through the years. However, it wasn’t until he lost his job at “The Tonight Show” in 2010 that he had become a hero of mine. Since then, he’s become larger than life. I’ve followed his new show very closely, tuning in almost every night looking for a laugh. I had always wanted to see one of his shows in person. It was possible, but highly unlikely. I could have never imagined I would get the opportunity to do so, especially in such big way. Everything changed the night of May 24th, 2012 when I got the email.
All I ask of you is one thing: please don’t be cynical. I hate cynicism — it’s my least favorite quality and it doesn’t lead anywhere. Nobody in life gets exactly what they thought they were going to get. But if you work really hard, and you’re kind, amazing things will happen.
Conan in Chicago. The trip I’ll remember forever.
I never thought this trip would have the power to change my life but it did. Not only did I get to go to Chicago and see all of the landmarks, I got to see my hero in person, Conan O’Brien. I can’t emphasize enough how being around him and his fans is an amazing experience. The crowd was full of energy, and so was Conan. The funniest thing about all of it is that between the people that work for him and his fans, they’re all young. His whole fan base has to have an average age of maybe 25-30. It’s incredible.
Anyway, back to the show. Not only am I a devout viewer of his show on TBS, seeing him up-close sealed the deal. He’s everything all his fans claim him to be. A kind, talented, hardworking individual. The guy is everything and more that I expected him to be. It was fantastic.
He loved his week in Chicago so much, he stayed out after the show was over and gave the crowd an encore performance of him and the band playing “40 Days” from his “Legally Prohibited from being funny on TV” tour. During the song, he jumped down off the stage and ran up an aisle and out the back of the theater. Since I had already ran out of my seat and was in the aisle, I was hoping to god that he would come running back down ours. Sure enough, he did. He came blasting back through us, brushing by me and my sister. I got to pat him on the back, my sister claimed she got to “hug” him (even though that was her just being in the way). Still, it was amazing.
He’s my hero.
1000 miles round-trip were worth it. Nothing beats getting to see your hero in person. I can die happy now.
