It was early 1975 and I was visiting my older sister in Southern California.  I was 16 years old.  My sister and her husband were living in Long Beach, I think, and I’m not quite sure why I had come to visit.  I do remember that my other older sister was also there.  So here I am, a teenager, hanging out with my older sisters who are both in their mid-20’s.  Kind of boring.

Somehow, it was decided that we would go hear a comedian at Cal State Long Beach.  He was suppose to be good, very funny, though a bit on the adult side.  My sisters figured I could handle it (remember, we all had spent lots of time in the junkyard; none of us were sheltered kids).  They just told me not to tell our parents!

Turns out the comedian was George Carlin.  I had never laughed that hard in my life.  At first my sisters (neither of whom you’d describe as uptight) were worried about me being exposed to the foul language.  But it didn’t take long for them to relax and laugh just as loudly as I was.

Fast forward several months.  My birthday was coming up and my mother asked what I wanted.  I saw in the paper that George Carlin was appearing at the Circle Star Theater on December 19, 1975, not long after my birthday.  By this time he was hot stuff, having hosted the first ever broadcast of Saturday Night Live in October of 1975.  So I asked for two tickets to the show in hopes that I could land a great date for the evening.  To my surprise, my mother bought me the tickets.  She probably still has no idea what kind of show George Carlin was putting on at the time.  Remember, this was the heyday of “Seven Words You Can Never Say on Television.”  It was not something my Baptist mother who later took the vows of the Salvation Army would ever approve!  But, and you can see this as either misguided or brilliant, my mother trusted me.

Next, I needed a date.  There was this girl who I really admired — pretty, friendly, popular — in short, way above my league.  But I figured it was worth a try.  So I asked her.  And she said yes.  The rest, as they say, is history.  A great evening, lots of laughter, and a goodnight kiss to change our lives.  The girl I had invited was D’Aun.

Needless to say, George Carlin has a special place in my life.  I never met the guy, and it’s not like he was in the forefront of my thoughts or that he changed my viewpoints on anything.  But I always admired his attitude about saying what he thought, being fiercely independent, and being an equal opportunity insulter.  His foul mouth was balanced with true insight and, in a weird comedic way, intellect.  And obviously I have a sentimental spot for him because of his role in the first date with the love of my life.

With an eye toward an autobiography, Carlin did a series of long interviews with his friend Tony Hendra.  Unfortunately, George died before the book was done.  Hendra took the material, some recorded and some written, to create the book “Last Words”.  It’s an interesting look at an interesting man.  It covers Carlin’s childhood as an Irish Catholic New Yorker, his time in the Air Force (two court martials, naturally), and his early years in radio.  The book covers the ups and downs of his career and how he went through phases of pure comedic brilliance.  It covers the difficult times, including his addictions and financial problems.  In true George Carlin style, nothing is held back.

I can’t recommend the book to everybody — it really does contain enough foul language to make a junkyard guru squirm.  And ultimately I cannot decide if his life was brilliant or sad.  Perhaps both.  But if you liked Carlin’s humor, you’ll like the book.