My last couple of posts have been kinda serious. These are serious times, but that doesn’t mean I have to always be serious. Besides, it’s not in my nature. I have been known to crack jokes at funerals. Something I learned from my Paw, I guess. He loved to crack jokes. Up until the day he passed.
There are those who think that my humor is a defense mechanism. I mask pain with humor, I mask stress with humor, I mask bad humor with more bad humor. What can I say? I have very strong defenses!
The way I see my humor is as an extension of God. Humor is a gift. It lifts people up in dark times, it strengthens hope in times of strife, it can provide strength when all else fails. It can be anything you need it to be; defiant, rude, helpful, playful, uplighting, downgrading. I find it useful.
I was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease in my late 20’s. I had been in the U.S. Army Reserves for 12 years. Crohn’s was an automatic disqualified from military service. I had hoped to make it a career of serving my country. Nope. I went from being a well-respected, highly decorated Drill Sergeant to just a school teacher. Half of what defined me as an adult was gone.
I enjoyed being a school teacher, but I really enjoyed being a soldier. Humor helped me cope. I threw myself into teaching, then into school administration. I faced situations involving students that would break your heart. Student suicides, molestations, drugs, and just plain teenagers dealing with being teenagers. I used humor to defuse tense situations, I used humor to motivate, to inspire. I used humor alter perceptions.
A superintendent without honor attempted to hide a situation on a school bus. I followed state law. She put in a written reprimand that I should have not followed state law. I disagreed. After 15 years with the school district, my contract was not renewed. I was paid not to work for eight months. For whatever reason, I couldn’t find work in the field of education. Humor helped me deal.
Life is not fair. It’s not cruel, it’s just life. We choose how we deal with it. I choose humor. Gallows humor, puns, memes, dad jokes, they are all part of my arsenal. They make Robin’s eyes roll, they make any daughter Jessica groan, they make my grandsons giggle.
All of this hides my secret, my humor is for me. Anyone else who enjoys it is icing on the cake. Enjoy your icing!
Meditations of a Bald, Fat Guy 