Might As Well Face it, I'm Addicted to Laughs

I'm LouAnn, and I'm a humor addict.

I have a sardonic, sarcastic, goofy and twisted sense of humor. Try as I may to keep it in check, it's not always possible. Usually, it's not a problem, but once in a while, something tumbles out of my mouth and I get The Stare. You know The Stare. It's when someone looks at you quizzically, annoyed, wide-eyed, slack-jawed, and unblinkingly. You smile, and make a goofy joke, hoping to snap them out of it...sometimes it works, but more often than not, I'm mumbling some lame apology for joking. It's more like sorry, not sorry, though.

I laugh at really inappropriate times and places. Like what, you ask? Wellllll, funerals, ICU hospital rooms, in a crisis, when I'm having an exacerbation. Well, maybe that last one isn't inappropriate, exactly.

Nothing is off-limits for me to joke about; no one is exempt from my sarcasm, which sometimes leads to The Stare. I suppose one could say that my sense of humor is evil, but I prefer the term all-encompassing. I mainly focus on joking about myself and my illness, though. I'm not spiteful or hurtful; I don't like the insulting humor, as a rule. Self-deprecating, yes. Toward other people, no. Sure, there are exceptions, but mostly, being hurtful to other people is something I don't like.

Where was I going with this? Oh, yes, now I remember. My sense of humor is my armor, and I take it into battle with me every day. Some days, there's a chink in the armor, and some days it's made of titanium, but it's always there. For me, a day without laughing is like a day without coffee. I suppose you could get through the day, but why would you want to?

Puns, play on words, stupid jokes, groaners, one-liners...I love them all. My dad had a great (or terrible, depending on your taste) sense of humor, always with the one-liners. Dad, I'm gonna take a shower. “Okay, put it back.”

Many years ago, a story came out that Vanna White had lost her virginity on a golf course. My dad pulled me aside (not my mom, or older cousin, just me), and said, “Did you hear Vanna White lost her virginity on a golf course? Talk about a hole in one.”

Is there any question where I get my love of one-liners from?

Back in the 80's, I saw Steven Wright live. He's one of my favorites, well, because. “I put a blank tape in my stereo, turned it all the way up. My next door neighbor knocked on my door to complain. He's a mime.”

My absolute all-time favorite is Robin Williams. I won't use “was”, because even though he's no longer with us, he IS my all-time favorite. “Reality What a Concept” is one of the best comedy albums, and my favorite piece from that album is “Shakespeare (A Meltdowner's Nightmare)". It's 36 years old, and just as funny to me as when I first heard it.

I always tell my daughter that when it comes time for her to date (hopefully in about 40 years or so), she should always go for the ones who make her laugh. If someone can make you laugh, and they laugh with you, it's a beautiful thing. It's worked for me so far...