Diary of a SAK University Newbie

My wife is starting to question what I really do on Monday evenings. Why, she asks, do I find it necessary to chomp on a couple breath-freshening gum pieces if I'm going to "improv class"? Fair question. But I'm sure my brethren at the SAK comedy lab appreciate the effort when I get inside their personal space.
That's just one of the challenges we face every week. "Personal space" is no longer personal. In fact, we're having to unlearn a lot of socially acceptable behavior in order to start to have a chance at becoming good at improv. Like, thinking before you speak. For YEARS we've been training ourselves to be thoughtful and not say the first stupid thing that comes to mind, and now Bob, our instructor, is encouraging the opposite. The less thought, and the more ridiculous, the better. Imagine your grade school teacher saying, "Are you being funny, young man? Gold star!" Or, "The next time you have something to say, I want you to not think first!" Or, "You call that a ninja warrior whoop? Louder!" Do ninjas actually whoop? They do in our class.
Last night's games involved a lot of pointing, loud noises, and rude comments. Again, things I got in trouble for my entire childhood, and now they are basic tools in my toolbox. I shudder to think that years of self-control training are coming undone. I'm currently looking for a job, and this experience should turn every interview into a nightmare. What happens if I slip into Emotional Response mode?
"Mr. Scotchie, can you describe a time when a supervisor suggested room for improvement in an area that you thought you performed well in?"
(long pause. finally:) "YES, IT WAS NEVER ENOUGH FOR THOSE PEOPLE. (SOB!) I GAVE AND I GAVE, AND THEY ALWAYS ASKED FOR MORE!" (Then I start clapping)
I felt good last night. It was partly the shirt. I was getting ready to head out and wasn't feeling like I had any mojo in the tank. So I thought, "The Orlando Magic are funny. They do it without even trying." So I put on my Magic shirt and immediately felt funny. I drew from that energy all evening, as well as that of my classmates, every one of them worthy of admiration for what they bring naturally and the effort they put into every class. It's getting more raw and unguarded, meaning our walls keep coming down, and we gird ourselves in a cloak of shamelessness when we walk thru that door. The shit is getting weird, my friends, and that is what we're there to learn.