Saturday, July 28, 2007

Humour Is Everywhere
(You Just Have to Find It)



I was waiting for an extra-ordinary good mood to come over me before writing this essay, but, alas, that didn’t happen.

Unfortunately, its something you just can’t force upon yourself. As consequence, this is one of those times where you just have to start writing and see what pops-up in the process. The title of this essay is highly appropriate. I do believe that humour is everywhere, all around us, but we are so consumed with the mundane tasks of daily living that we forget to go looking for it. At least, I do.


The thought occurred to me, “Where on earth do you go looking for it?” Well, I have three responses to that question, and none of them include the electronic media. There is no such thing as “good humour” news. The electronic media does it’s very best to get us all forlorn and depressed as soon as we wake up every morning. So, that is enemy number one, in my book, especially when trying to find humour.

The business community comes to mind. I recall earlier this week when I went to the bank. I saw giant posters in attractive colours advocating how they want to serve us, to please us, to satisfy us and to attend to our every whim. There was a less prominent sign, however, posted at each teller’s wicket asking us to use the automatic banking machines outside whenever possible. I found good humour in that contradiction.

There’s always good humour in the fantasy world of romance and puppy love. I’ve known quite a few serious career-minded young men who literally fall apart in the presence of a pretty young lady for whom they feel an attraction. Their dramatic personality change from intelligent rational-thinking human male to unintelligible babbling nitwit is unfathomable, but humorous, nevertheless.

The potential for humour always being present is well illustrated by this everyday situation. When returning home from work one evening on a crowded bus, a very pregnant young lady wiggled, pushed and squeezed her way to the mid-section where she could reach an overhead strap to hang onto. The expression, “packed like sardines in a can” would apply in this scenario. Canadians can be cold and heartless at times and I knew that no-one was going to offer their precious seat to her. So, I stood up and said, “Please ma’am, take my seat”. She was taken aback by this unexpected gallantry and said, “Well, thank you kind sir! Do you come from outer space?” To which I responded,

“Yes I do ma’am. I come from Mars – are you from Venus?” She burst out laughing and said, “Oh! I see that you read the book as well!” And, she gratefully accepted my seat.

This might not sound like a big deal to the reader, but that brief moment of humour brought smiles to her, and to me, after a very dull day. Isn’t that what it’s all about?

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