On Being Funny

I just received my first email newsletter from John Kinde's humor Power. He teaches how to be funny.

I've always thought I had a sense of humor, but as I've gotten older I've taken myself much too serious. As a new member of "Humor Toastmasters" I've learned a little bit about humor. And it's been life changing.

I thought that to be funny, I had to be really funny. Because of that, when I thought of something funny, first I questioned myself if it was really that funny, and usually I deemed it was not, so I just kept quiet.

With Humor Toastmasters I learned that through observational humor, it doesn't take much to get a good laugh. After that first Humor Toastmasters meeting, I've loosened up, allowing myself to say things that come of the top of my head. Sometimes it doesn't work. But for the most part, I've made others around me comfortable and been able to enjoy each other's company through humor.

I remember when I was 5 and 6 years old. I would make jokes in the class and have all the classmates laughing. I don't know where I lost my funny bone, but I want it back. Life is a wonderful thing, and part of its joy is through humor.

Here's one of my observational humor jokes that was a lot of fun: My wife and I were in Laughlin ordering lunch. On the menu was "Bone-in ham". I asked the waitress how they put the bone in the ham. My wife thought that was so funny, she almost peed her pants. The waitress thought I was a wacko. I'm happy that my wife enjoyed my corny sense of humor.

If you don't think the bone-in ham is funny, trust me, you had to be there. And besides, when I only tell a joke once every 2 years, you'd laugh at just about anything too.