Jacob Silas

About

A busybody turned slow-traveler, Jake spent nearly 20 years in deserts but now stands out in the rain like he just tunneled out of Shawshank Prison. Ironically, he spent much of a combat tour navigating the Iraqi sewer system on a daily basis!

"I was a human Ninja Turtle, with superior weapons, but the pizza was terrible".

How bad was it? So bad that he developed cPTSD. It went undiagnosed until recently because despite being a Communications Specialist competence whilst talking about himself didn't develop until much later.

His comedic style draws heavily upon an eclectic set of life experiences because "I'm so socially awkward no one has really known what to do with me". Whether analyzing Japanese Game Shows or excoriating inept mass shooters Jake is anything but predictable.

Backstory

For a large part of his youth his nearest neighbors were a mile away, but Jake stayed active helping his family build and renovate homes & bridges, raise cattle and tend to crops. Remaining downtime was spent with his head deep in a book. How deep? At 13 years of age he was a regional finalist competing for a slot in the Scripps-Howard National Spelling Bee. His region, DC-Maryland-Virginia, was debatably the toughest in the nation.

He was eliminated because his voice cracked pronouncing a vowel (Damn you puberty!!).

Although a timid speaker, Jake developed thorough knowledge of his native tongue. Four years later he graduated in the bottom five of his class. His grade point average was technically a failing mark.

He later joined the National Guard. A few years later Jake was mobilized and served as a signal soldier & SAW gunner in Southern & Central Iraq. A back injury very early in his tour compounded stresses.

When Jake got back to the USA his daughter was turning one year-old. With few work prospects locally he moved to Las Vegas, which offered some of the highest wages in the nation for unskilled workers.

He started in security. During the opening minutes of his 1st shift he witnessed a Marine who had just been fatally stabbed on the LV Strip in front of his assigned area. At the end of his 1st week he responded to a jumper, finding a predictable result.

Most of his next 15 years were spent in the bar industry, liquor always nearby, in the suicide capital of his country. There were many good times. His interpersonal skills slowly improved, although stimulus overload & competitive work environments exacerbated attempts at emotional healing.

Benefits of doing stand up

Jake is grateful, as standup has allowed him to process fear & grief both faster and more thoroughly.

Jake says:

"I have a nervous system that was beneficial in combat, but an inhibitor in maintaining interpersonal relationships. Acute Imposter Syndrome is an ongoing reality for me. Because of this I have let others write my narrative,often to my disadvantage. Our group's camaraderie lends a better foothold to address this. I am here for anyone bathing in trauma, from early-life on forward"