I’ve always had the
ability to make people laugh, usually with a spontaneous remark or comment that
just seems to appear or happen, usually without pre-meditation. Sometimes I worry that I am close to
being a “smart-ass” with some of the things I say.
A few years ago I began
writing a studio-galley newsletter on a regular basis (once or twice a month),
and in the process discovered that just as in conversation, something humorous
would suddenly occur to me and find its way into the writing. Eventually I became determined to make
the letters entertaining as well as informative, but sadly I discovered that my
humor was like my smile, it cannot be forced or brought on my sheer will power,
it has to simply “happen”. It is totally unpredictable, occurring during
conversation, when writing, or when my thoughts are elsewhere. I am entirely dependent on the
inspired, unconscious quip. Try as
I may, like my smile, I cannot force it to happen; when someone points a camera
at me my face turns to stone…Unless…
Let me tell you a story
about one memorable “unless”. We
were living on the farm in Maryland and had just opened our new medical office in a
rehabbed barn. The local paper
thought that was worthy of an article and photo and sent out a photographer to take
some pictures of me in front of the office. As this was happening, Patience was leading several horses to the paddock adjacent to the office and saw me
standing there with an idiotic forced smile. She placed the horses in the paddock and quickly returned to
help me. Standing behind the
photographer, who had no idea she was there, dear sweet prim and proper
Patience (that may be hard to believe, but yes, she really is quite proper.)
turned her back to me, dropped her drawers, and gave me a full moon that is
forever seared in my memory.
Needless to say, I smiled.
In fact I think I didn’t stop smiling for at least 3 days. It was a great photo.
Humor is a funny thing.
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