A Real Clown

"Well, I mean... where do you start with a guy like Clyde? We all know how uh, how funny he was of course. I mean he was so successful with uh, with that, of course. You know, before all this, he asked me to wear this tie. Can you believe it? This tie! It's ridiculous! I mean, folks I'm not that, you know, insensitive guy. Ha ha, no no, we're good friends. You know that's how far he'd go for a laugh though, you know? He'd want that.

"I guess I should start with how we, how we came to meet, I guess. Well, ha ha, I guess it's obvious by now that I haven't really prepared anything, and, well I'm sorry if I ramble and ramble. Clyde would always be yelling at me to get to the damn point hahaha. Oh boy I guess I can't say that, I'm sorry. No, no disrespect intended. We uh, me and Clyde first met each other... well... I guess I don't know, to be honest. As far back as I can think we've been best buddies. It's uh... it's uh... it's gonna be pretty weird you know, now.

"Anyway we were always good friends and Clyde well, he'd always be the class clown you know? He'd always be making everyone laugh all the time. I mean it was his way of, I don't know how to say this. I mean we weren't big or athletic, but Clyde, he was funny you know? I think that's why he's so funny, because he knows that. He's big enough to laugh at himself, you know? He was a real pioneer in that respect. And well, I think that's why, he's been so succesful as you all know.

"I mean you could just see him up there in those ridiculous suits ha ha. You know I think the one he has on now is the only decent thing I've ever seen him where ha ha ha. Well ha ha. I mean anyway. You could tell the man loved what he did. Everybody loved him you know? And he lived for it, absolutely lived for it. He'd do anything for a laugh.

"Some of the things he said up there on stage. Killer, abolutely killer. I don't know how he did it. I mean I'd die of embarrasment. But that's the thing, that's the thing about Clyde. He didn't care, as long as he got people to laugh. He put everything out there, you know? Self esteem, who needs it? Ha ha. A bad set to him was, the end, you know? It killed him. Well, it. Well he hated it, I guess those weren't the right, I guess I could have said it better. It was like an addiction ha ha. Well. You know, a healthier kind.

"I'm not going to talk about it here, it's just not right, you know? But... well, I'd never thought we'd all be here like this, you know? Dearly beloved and all that. Such a damn... Well anyway, Clyde. He was. He was a real original. I mean, who else do you know would tell his best buddy to wear this tie to his funeral? It's in the man's will! It's ridiculous. Absolutely ridiculous. What a clown! A real... a real clown, he was.

"And you know, it eventually, it became part of the joke for him. He'd always say how much he hated his job, you know the whole uh, the whole comedy thing, how he hated the work. I mean he told me once he thought he was a big stupid clown I think he said. Ha ha. I told him everybody loves clowns, I said that to him: Clyde, everyone loves clowns! And if you don't like it so much, you know, stop doing it then, you know? But that would only make him more uh, agitated. That was pretty hysterical for me, you know. Nobody ever really heard that about him."