Christmas is coming so I’m going to let you in on a little secret on what I think is the ultimate gift we can give each other. If you’re thinking it’s love or kindness, then you’d be wrong. I personally think if you can’t share those gifts every day of the year, you’re a sad sack of a human being. No, I’m talking about the present that most people want to regift immediately – humour.
You can start out gently if you’re unaccustomed to sharing laughs with folks. Sometimes a big smile and a wink is all it takes to get a like response. Other times a chuckle can save a relationship. I vividly remember the day my mother was giving me a lecture to end all lectures. She was stressed, and whatever I’d done was the last straw for her. Now you should know this about my mom – she raised nine kids mostly by herself, and in order to keep us in line she could yell louder than any drill sergeant I’ve ever heard. So in mid loud rant, I suddenly started laughing. I’m not sure why – obviously my sense of self-preservation was in low gear that day. However, the amazing thing was it was so unexpected, it stopped my mom in mid-sentence and, wonder of wonders, she started to laugh. By the way, it’s not something that works twice – the next time I tried it, she really lowered the boom.
I have to be frank with you – my favourite form of humour is puns. More than any other genre of funnies, puns provoke a love or hate reaction. I think for the most part they’re an innocent form of humour. Kids invariably love them. Nothing, to my mind, is cuter than a little one in kindergarten who “gets” it. If you have a treasured child in your life, here’s a Christmas joke just for them: “Why didn’t the turkey eat dessert? He was stuffed!” If you’re groaning, they’ll love it, guaranteed.
Some of the best kinds of humour are spontaneous. My husband and I were once having a serious conversation about what kind of funeral we’d like to have. He decided he didn’t want one of those cheerful celebrations of life that are the current style. “I want them all to be crying,” he said. “All right,” I replied, “I’ll buy a sack of onions and hand them out at the door.” Guess which one of us was laughing.
Facebook is a treasure trove of bad puns. I love plays on words, especially the ones that involve spelling. I’m not sure the reading world gets any of them. So not only am I amused, but I get to feel superior at the same time – a win-win of monumental proportions in my book.
Anyway, if you want to send some cheer my way I’m ready to laugh. My final joke – how many reporters does it take to change a light bulb? None. Reporters never want to change anything. (Guilty as charged!)
You’re welcome. Merry Christmas, friends!
