Funny story...

"I've Got Your Dog"

Not, me, personally. I don't have your dog. If your dog is missing I am not sure where it is. I do have someone else's cats. But it's a totally above board and legal having of the cats. No, this is something else.

That's the title to a song that was in my "On This Day" feed. It's by Steve Conn, we saw him when he opened for one of C's bands a few years ago. Really enjoyed his show and that song made me laugh. He opens by telling the background story of the song and one of the things that made me laugh the most was his trajectory.  The situation started out funny. Then it really wasn't funny anymore. It was worrisome. Then it all ended okay so it got funny again. I liked that he saw the humor right away and eventually got back to it.

My problem in life often stems from the fact that my "this will be a funny story someday" time frame is much quicker than most people. I can see the humor in a situation even when I am in the middle of it going terribly wrong. Not just to other people, comedy is when it happens to you, tragedy is when it happens to me, right? But no, I see it as funny even when it's happening to me. I laugh at inappropriate things, not just nervous laughter, though that happens too, but actual "oh my gosh, this is hilariously awful" laughter.

And most people need a little more time.

I've insulted way more people than I care to admit by laughing or cracking a joke while we were in the middle of some catastrophe or another. Because they did not find it funny. I've answered the "Do you find this funny, young lady?" question yes at times when I CLEARLY should have said no. But I can't help it. Life is generally funny. Especially when it's going completely wrong.

 Life has a tendency to do over the top wrong quite often. You know when you have a big meeting at work and the tire goes flat, and it's bucketing rain, then you find out the spare is flat as well, so you call for the tow truck but it's late, and while you are waiting the car battery dies then your boss calls to tell you he really needs you in the office NOW because your client is there early insisting that the meeting was scheduled for 8 not 10. You either laugh or you cry. Sometimes you do both. But come on! That shit is funny. As is finally making it to the office and conducting the meeting while every step you take you hear the squish of the water in your shoes and you are trying your best not to crack up but COME ON you are a mess and everyone is trying to pretend you aren't and why the hell can't we just laugh about this?

And then there are people who NEVER find the funny in a story. And when they are telling you of their woes they do not want you to laugh about them. No matter if it really seems like they are adding ridiculous upon ridiculous just to get the laugh. They don't want it and they really won't appreciate it. But I still tend to do it. Sometimes, and I am really proud of myself when this happens, sometimes I can hold it together long enough to not laugh while I am with them and can either shoot an email to someone who shares my sense of humor or regale Brent with the tale when he gets home from work.

And of course, if it's a really good story it will make it in to a blog. Or a somewhat disguised fictionalized version for a short story. Sorry.  I mean not sorry like I feel badly for it, but sorry that you had the misfortune of being friends with someone who obviously does not share your view of the world as a tragedy just waiting to get worse instead of a joke waiting for a punchline.

And life is so much better when you can see the humor in most things. Not everything, I mean, I'm not a monster, some things aren't hilarious, they are just awful. But quite often you can find that bright spot. That moment of "if this had Yakety Sax playing behind it it would be fucking hilarious." Those moments make it better. They really do.

So my wish for you today is that you see the punchline instead of the tragedy.