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To get through life, we all need a sense of humor

By GEORGI DAVIS
Published October 2, 2005

I'm fully aware that everyone has a different sense of humor. What I may think is funny, others may not and what they think is funny, I don't. But, then again, it's rare that I don't think certain things are funny.

Take my article (published Aug. 28) about my husband joining the golf league. We both thought the article was pretty funny. I heard people express that they, too, saw humor in it.

Others felt he should have divorced me on the spot. But that's people for you.

I like to think my husband and I understand each other's sense of humor. He's extremely good about rinsing off his dishes after each meal. However, sometimes, most of the time, he rinses them off and sets them on the counter above the dishwasher. I asked him the other day if his back was feeling better. He responded by saying that he didn't have a back problem and why would I ask. I responded by saying that I thought his back must hurt since he couldn't bend over to put his dishes in the dishwasher.

That's what I mean by a sense of humor. In my opinion, in order to get through life you have to have one.

My husband woke up the other morning to find me searching under beds, in cupboards, under the couches and in closets. He asked what I was looking for. I told him I had finally lost it! He wondered what it was. I said, "I think I have lost my sense of humor. I can't seem to find it anywhere!"

Well, we both knew this wouldn't do. He wondered how I knew I had lost it. I told him that when I hit a bad shot on the golf course it was no longer funny. When I made him a cake the other day and accidentally dropped it upside down on the floor, frosting side down, that I didn't laugh. I explained how looking in the mirror and seeing more and more wrinkles was not funny, either. When the cat got on the counter and drank the milk from my cereal, I didn't laugh, and I didn't think the cat was very cute.

So, I went about trying to recover my sense of humor.

As everyone knows, to solve a problem, first you must know you have one and second you must find the reason for the problem. So I took my cup of coffee and sat on the patio to look at the water and think about it.

I suddenly realized that it was an environment thing. It was the second hottest summer on record here in Florida and I really didn't want to ride my bike or even go to the pool. It was just too hot. This meant I didn't get my endorphins pumping and consequently lost my sense of humor.

Secondly, all the news fit to print was bad. We spent weeks waiting for Katrina and then weeks hearing about her after the fact. Then we listened to news of the upcoming Rita. We waited and waited and finally she arrived. I couldn't believe that news reporters had nothing else to talk about. There were no unsolved mysteries and no major conglomerate financial woes that, if I heard about, would probably have really cheered me up!

So, how did I regain my sense of humor? It was easy. My husband and I went to play cards with two other couples. It's a men against women thing. We put a quarter in the pot before we start. We put a dime in if we are "set" by the opposing team. We are saving money to go out to eat. We now have over $34 and we have been playing for more than a year.

We figure we now have enough to at least go to a fast food joint.

Anyway, one of the men placed himself so he could play cards and watch the football game at the same time. Another one was suffering from an upper respiratory infection. The game went something like this:

Did someone bid? What's trump? (right after trump had been called). These cards stink! I haven't had a good hand all night! What's trump? I think you just reneged. What's trump? Hey, Squirrelly, pay attention to what you are doing! (other person makes a face like a squirrel.)

What's trump? Whose turn is it to deal? Is the game over? I'm falling asleep. What's trump? I don't have enough cards. Whoops, I dropped one on the floor! (after everyone had already turned their cards in.)

Whose deal is it? Hey! Did you see that touchdown? What's trump? The game is over, you silly goose.

Thought for the day: You can see why my sense of humor instantly returned. If you ever lose yours, just try playing cards with a bunch of gray-haired retirees.

[Last modified October 2, 2005, 01:57:16]