“I believe that imagination is stronger than knowledge — myth is more potent than history — dreams are more powerful than facts — hope always triumphs over experience — laughter is the cure for grief — love is stronger than death.” –Robert Fulghum
“The only honest art form is laughter, comedy. You can’t fake it … try to fake three laughs in an hour-ha ha ha ha ha-they’ll take you away, man. You can’t.” –Lenny Bruce
“Laughter is the shortest distance between two people.” -Victor Borge
by Gary (photos by Meghan Hill)
The setting is our family mini van.
The location is Hwy 37 north, somewhere between Mitchell and Bedford, on the way to Nanny’s house for Sunday lunch.
The plot is Collin, our 6 year old son, entertaining us with his own brand of humor, or lack thereof.
The script went as follows…
Collin: Why did the chicken cross the road?
Me: I don’t know. Why?
Collin: To go swim in the pond. (Collin laughs at his joke)
Me: (I laugh at Collin laughing at himself)
Collin: Hey, how about this one… Why did the dump truck put dirt on the duck?
Me: I don’t know. Why?
Collin: Because the dump truck wanted to get the duck dirty. (Collin laughs at his joke again)
Me: (I laugh at Collin and the thought of a dead duck under two tons of dirt.)
Collin: Hey, how about this one…
And on and on he goes.
At this point, Elsa, our three year old daughter, is laughing so hard she can hardly breathe. The problem is that these aren’t really jokes in the standard sense but that doesn’t bother Elsa because she has no idea what a joke is anyway. She’s just laughing because Collin and I are laughing.
Michelle is laughing at Elsa. And I’m grinning and chuckling; shaking my head at the thought of a chicken swimming.
Collin really doesn’t understand humor yet but he’s convinced he does. He’s so convinced that he keeps right on telling jokes that aren’t really jokes. But then again, I’m not sure what they are. They’re hard to categorize. If the definition of a joke is that what you say makes people laugh, then maybe Collin is telling jokes.
I don’t have any huge points to draw from all this, you’ll have to draw your own today. But it does make me feel reflective. I just enjoy enjoying my joke-telling son, my jump-on-the-laughter-wagon daughter and my easily amused wife. What a life! It really makes me wonder what else I might be overlooking or disregarding in my life just because I can’t find a good category to put it in. It makes me want to laugh more freely for no good reason.
I shall desire and I shall find
The best of my desires;
The autumn road, the mellow wind
That soothes the darkening shires.
And laughter, and inn-fires.
(Rupert Brooke)
From quiet homes and first beginning,
Out to the undiscovered ends,
There’s nothing worth the wear of winning,
But laughter and the love of friends.
(Hilaire Belloc)
I Am and Me 