There are things that I think I’m pretty good at – but few things that everyone would agree that I actually am good at. The one ability or trait that everyone seems to agree on is that I am a funny guy. I’m okay with that … I try really hard to be funny. In fact, I actually practice being funny. I have stories that I have told many, many times and what some people might mistake for exaggeration or hyperbole is actually my attempt to hone and refine the story I’m telling. So when I was asked what makes me laugh, I was a little surprise to discover what my answer was –
Very little actually makes me laugh – and the harder someone tries, the less likely I am to laugh. I’m telling you people, you can’t force it, you have to let the game come to you.
The things that make me laugh are generally not okay to laugh at … like someone falling, slipping, or tripping (assuming they don’t actually hurt themselves – pain isn’t funny either). Or when someone gets surprised and scared and they … blaargh!!! These things seem to make me laugh because they are organic and true. When you slip, you can’t be cool – you just can’t. Your arms shoot out and your eyes bug open … most times you even let out a high pitch, totally not cool, but genuine shriek. You can’t control that – same is true when someone jumps out from around the corner and scares you. Those are funny moments.
Think Freud had an opinion about funny people who don’t laugh? Probably, but then again he wasn’t funny either. There have been a few people in my life that make me laugh and most of them don’t tell jokes. They tell stories of woe and accidental humiliation but are able to laugh at themselves and as a result I laugh along with them. Maybe this goes along with being a glass half full type person and always trying to find the positive side to things. I am not a joke teller but I do like a good story – its attitude and delivery; it’s knowing which word sounds better, wrinkling a brow and adding a pause at the right moment. When people can laugh at themselves when something goes wrong, it makes it okay to laugh with them. Ever been around someone who was laughing really, really hard and you couldn’t help but laugh with them even though you don’t know what they are laughing about? Or the person who is trying to tell you a story but they are dying laughing while they are trying to tell it? That’s the best.
I love to laugh but I don’t do it too often, so here’s a shout out to the comedians in my life – you know who you are, and I love you for making me laugh.
Pull my finger,
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Who is the clown in this picture? What’s his name?
don’t know – sorry
look at his face. what a character! must have had a great life as clown and a poor life as man.
Laughter is good for health but you see in my day to day live I will admit I don’t laugh that often as I’m presuming you do . Yes I too burst out laughing when I see someone tripping and falling ! We are taught in schools not to laugh on such occasion but I can’t help it, it’s simply out of control ! If in any case I need to lighten my mood ,all I do is switch on the television and tune to some channel airing some comedy soap.
Really good one, Bob ( friendly smile… )
Really good one, Bob ( friendly smile… )
Bob, made me a little sad… laughing is a habit, I think. we laugh as soon as we can and have to stop so we can sleep. out loud laughing. bet that gorgeous daughter makes you laugh. how about 3 Stooges? you made me laugh in yr robot git up. Maybe yr just laughing inside, just maybe… here’s some laughables for you. http://bit.ly/alEbYW cindy @urbanverse
As always, Bob, your ability to present your unwavering voice in an uncompromising way and still make me laugh is such a treat! Loved your ADHA/therapist story below. Remind me not to send you any of my books 🙂
Thanks Saxon,
Love whenever I get a comment from you!
Do you know I haven’t mentioned the “book episode” in 10 years – it’s not even in the top twenty of stories I tell. I suppose my self-preservation story telling technique came out of the fact I make an ass out of myself so very, very often. I also suppose the fact I haven’t learned anything or changed my behaviour from all these” past” transgressions also speaks volumns.
That exaggerated drawing is hilarious!
I can’t help but wonder who the coffee landed on.
Ok, I love your blog, Bob but that is a very sad and scary photo.
That’s me … the sad clown. Always half in and half out of character. But I put the tripping photo up first to ease you into things. That was decent of me … right?
The best stories are the ones that have been honed and practiced. They sound natural, but most have been shaped and carved by each telling. Like this idiot over here http://gerardmclean.com/my-story-formerly-about
Repartee and improv are two skills that hone humor. You don’t even need to buy any tools to practice, just a willing audience. Or a hapless sucker. Either works.
I like honesty here. and I guess *errrmmmm* I am your brother in sensitivity – life is funny and there is no need to force it. thanks for posting.
You’re funny because you don’t try to be and because you remain calm and dry and barely crack a smile. I won’t post the picture on here, I won’t, I promise, but that was very funny 🙂
I admire your restraint – most people who had a picture of me lying prone surrounded by a giant ***** would have printed it on T-Shirts by now.
Thank goodness there wasn’t any video!
You make me laugh because of the way you observe life. It’s not from the same angle as the rest of the world. And your avatar makes me laugh because of that wry, crinkled smile – which somehow looks just like you.
I do observe life – sitting in a tree with binoculars. (better than saying “sitting in a tree with a scope” right?)
Actually you might appreciate this – I went and saw a therapist when I was in my early thirties because I wanted to know why I couldn’t be happy with what I had, in the here and now. She told me that I had the worst case of ADHD she had ever seen and gave me a book to read. When I came back the following week, she asked “how was the book?”. After I told her it was the most ridiculous book I had ever read, and the intellect of the 2nd grader who wrote it was predictable and the 2 hours I spent reading it was a complete waste of my time … she told me that she wrote the book and maybe I should have looked at the name of the author first.
Huh? Wassthat?
I never went back (but it makes me laugh every time I think of what an idiot I was)
Yep, you’re right, Bob. I laughed at you tripping over yourself in the book review you gave to the therapist. But you weren’t hurt, so it’s OK (as long as the therapist isn’t reading this, I guess). In my post (http://hub.am/92lnqr), I discussed the spontaneous laughter you mentioned, where you’re laughing just because someone else is laughing, or you’re laughing because you shouldn’t be. I posted a couple of classic videos, too.
Ok, that story makes me laugh out loud, based a lot on your description of what makes you laugh. Of COURSE you had adult ADHD; that’s obvious. The upside is that you can get a lot done and multi-task. Downside – kind of exhausting. Enjoy your tree.