Why the long face?

“A priest, a rabbi, and a minister walk into a bar…” is the start of many silly jokes that get a good chuckle out of most of us.

Why is humor so important to humans? Just look at any social media outlet and you will see it chock full of funny memes or silly stories.

For those who read newspapers, the Funnies section is often the most sought after. When I worked for Cheney Free Press, I fielded customer phone calls regarding the Funnies section. Some would be concerned if news content was such that our funnies were short or missing. Others were upset if the size of the section was reduced, as it was harder to see.

Many people look forward to reading the Sunday Funnies and keeping up with the antics of their favorite characters. They say laughter is the best medicine. Lucinda mentioned just last week that she advocates a laughter regimen that increases endorphins and improves an overall sense of well being. (I tried the laugh for a full minute thing, by the way. I boosted my efforts by looking into the mirror while laughing. It made me laugh!)

I’ve been asked why military people have such a bizarre sense of humor. We truly do. It stems from the stress of knowing what’s possibly in store when you have to deploy. Death. Either yours or someone else’s. Taken too seriously, we would fail our mission every time.

Maybe we live a little more intensely knowing this. Humor helps to soften the blow.

My first job in the military was to work on camera systems on a fighter jet. Long days in the hot Texas sun toughen more than just your physical skin. “Go over to Supply and get fifty feet of flight line,” was a common joke played on new troops. Fortunately, my instructors at school warned us about that old yarn, so I didn’t fall for it. Playing jokes on each other is common practice and generally accepted by all but the easily offended set.

I believe animals have a sense of humor. I’ve had several pets who exhibited this; the most obvious was my cat Sam. Sam was a desert rescue who never lost his love of the great outdoors, but thoroughly enjoyed his pampered pet lifestyle. We played chase regularly. I lived in a small bungalow with all rooms surrounding a central hall closet. I would chase Sam around the loop for several laps when he would suddenly leap into the air, twist his body and chase me for a few laps.

It was a riot because I never knew when he was going to switch it up. I used to sneak up on him a scare him. He’d jump straight up, hiss and chase me. One morning as I got out of bed and walked sleepily towards the bathroom, Sam jumped out at me from around the corner where he was hiding and scared the daylights out of me. I screamed and jumped and immediately began laughing. The chase was on. Sam was a real goofball, all right. Since then I’ve had both dogs and cats, most of which enjoyed a good joke or two. Tika, my current dog, wags her tail whenever Jim and I laugh at something. She may not know what we’re laughing at, but she subscribes to the adage, “that’s funny, I don’t care who you are.”

So why is humor important? People around the world use humor. We see it in videos and photographs of indigenous peoples to “man on the street” pranks and more. Personally, I believe humor is an inherent gift designed to make the tough times easier and the good times even better.