Humor Me

Nearly a month ago Philip asked about my sense of humor. It’s taken me a month to anser - in part because I’m lazy and in part because I’m not quite sure how to explain the funny in my world or the funny I add to the world. The quiz result prompting the question was called “The Cutting Edge” which grouped the humor of John Belushi and David Letterman. Just plain silly and ironic slapstick are two catagories of humor I do often find funny.

Here’s a hint guys, if you’re trying to make me laugh catch me when I’m close to exhaustion. I expend a great deal of unseen energy keeping my emotions within a range I deem acceptable, and as I get tired a larger portion of that energy allocates itself to keeping the rage in check, leaving a wide opening for silliness to amuse me. It occasionally bother Alm when we travel together that I find humor in the oddest of places and choose not to explain it. I don’t explain because usually the giggle results from a sly comment or obscure perception from the running commentary in my head and others just wouldn’t see the humor.

Ok, I also have to admit if you were to bang your knee against the pew while trying to stand up, I’ll laugh first and ask if you’re OK later. Really, I don’t know why but random signs of gracelessness and people’s reactions to it make me laugh. I even get a good laugh out of falling/flying myself, after I’ve healed of course. Having said that, I don’t get movies where painful things happen to people just for the laugh - the Something About Mary preview comes to mind.

There is one last place I routinely find humor - and it bothers people in the theatre. I love playing with words. I love irony. The pun will even make me groan. Show me your brain works in a slightly twisted way, and I’m likely to find you funny. There are times it takes me several hearings before I get the funny, but when I do I love it.

In a later piece I’ll try to address what I do/say that people find funny.