Stop watch:
I am a “self-entertaining attention-getting lover of life.” 
In other words, I am a comedian and humor writer. I think I was born that way. 
I am wired to view things askance and askew. 
I have always gone for the laugh. After decades of going for the laugh, I have decided that I want to spend the rest of my life laughing. 
I grew up in a house with three brothers. My parents were divorced when I was only four years old. 
I was the second child. However, as I grew up, I found that my mother depended upon me more and more to help her around the house and to take care of my younger brothers – not my older brother. 
I was put in charge – and those boys were 
ridiculous. I would ask them to do their chores and they would smart-mouth me with statements like 
“You’re not the boss of me!” I’d reply: 
“Oh yeah
Wait until Mom gets home – you’ll find out WHO’S the boss of you!” 
One of my coping mechanisms was humor. I became a lover of jokes and riddles. I began writing my own material. I would try out my stuff on my classmates at school. When they laughed at my jokes, it encouraged me to write and perform more humor. Some of my grammar schoolteachers did not approve of me interrupting them while I was going for the laugh. A few times I was sent out in the hallway to “settle down.” 
What my teachers failed to understand is that I enjoyed standing in the hall – it was another place to rehearse my material – which usually consisted of mimicking them telling me to stand in the hall until I settled down. [MIMIC TEACHER]
During my grammar school years, my family watched a tv show called “Your Hit Parade,” which was sponsored by Lucky Strike cigarettes. It was a lot of singing and dancing and great costumes and funny remarks. I loved it. I started performing my own show in the only bathroom of our house. I would sing “It’s the Jeannie Rapstad show.” Sometimes my brothers would try to interrupt my show so they could use the bathroom. I would tell them “You can’t come in now. I am right in the middle of my show.” Then they’d yell, “Mom, Jeannie won’t let me in the bathroom.” These boys just did not understand my need to entertain and self-entertain.
I started acting in plays in high school. Because of my ability to deliver a line, I was cast in lead roles where I could really use my acting skills to go for the laugh. I loved it. My sense of humor was appreciated by my friends and I loved getting the laughs.
I went to see renown comedian, Phyllis Diller’s show at Knott’s Berry Farm in 1976. She was absolutely hilarious! I said to myself, “I want to do that.” Thus, began my stand-up comedy career in Hollywood. I worked many open mikes at all the major comedy clubs in the Los Angeles market. I started getting paid gigs too. I spent 4-5 nights a week performing stand-up comedy at one club or another. At first it was terrifying – walking out on stage at the famous Comedy Store – performing comedy for people who had paid a cover charge and a two-drink minimum – who expected some laughs for their money. That was okay though. For me the terror was part of the thrill.
After spending sometime abroad, I revived my comedy act in 2001. I worked to develop my show “Comic Sketches,” which I still perform today. I have performed my show in seven states. I love going for the laugh and having my audience laugh with me.
Now I teach classes and seminars in how to add humor to presentations. While I believe that some people are just born wanting to entertain people, other people can learn how to add humor to their speeches. The first requisite for success is the willingness to go for the laugh. A certain amount of suspension of dignity is required to perform humor. People who want to be funny first need to loosen up. If you are concerned about maintaining your dignity, then becoming a comedian is probably not for you.
I love to go for the laugh and get it. There is not a better feeling than in a speech presentation. I entertain myself while entertaining others. I will always go for the laugh.