Laughing with Dad

I'm that person that takes five minutes to figure out what everyone was laughing at after someone cracks a joke. Sometimes I just don't get it. Sometimes I get it and just don't think it is funny. Often this results in people thinking I don't have a sense of humor, really, I'm thinking it is more related to what I was exposed to growing up.

When I was little, I remember my dad dancing some goofy, random dance in the living room and Mom worrying that the neighbors might see. He would sing wild and goofy songs to put me to sleep. Dad was and still is quite the pun-ster, still sings rediculous songs and makes stuff up all the time. Kathleen, his wife really just encourages him in this. We were driving to my brothers wedding on Saturday and saw the steel cow statue in Nisqualley. Dad started a punny conversation surrounding it talking about how udderly ridiculous something was or how something was bull. On the way home, Kathleen and he started this crazy game where they sing a song where each person takes a turn making up a part of the song and the ending word has to rhyme with something before. Also, dad gave us an Native American/Asian accent for the guy driving next to us out of Aberdeen and, as with all his accents, it sounded rather British and had a nice big "ya'll" and a touch of the Swedish "v" sound or intonation. I'm not sure someone could have figured out what is was if their life depended upon it. Same goes with all his accents...same Swedish, British and Cowboyish elements to whatever he says.

I think what keeps a Dad-like sense of humor from coming out of me is a little reserve that he doesn't have. Not to say he is shameless, but he is quite a bit freer with people than I am...at least as far as his image goes.

(July 2006)

Hot Water

I Believe in getting into hot water; it keeps you clean.
G. K. Chesterton

A couple of weeks ago, I was trying to find an essay on cheese that G.K. Chesterton had written when I fell upon this quote. Because I have a relatively simply sense of humor, I thought leaving my mom a quote about keeping clean would be fun and I couldn't really find anything profound (in case you were concerned, there is no possible way for mom to take it personally…she keeps quite clean).

Being excited about the most obvious meaning of the quote, I shared it with my step-dad who brought a whole new level of understanding to the situation. The quote was about to closely reflect the direction of my life as I moved up to Western.

Though I agree that getting into difficult life circumstances keeps you where you ought to be, I'd like to add to the idea of it simply keeping you clean. This past two weeks, I have grown closer to God at the same time as I have learned to keep clean.

Learning my roommates, how to deal with 300 level classes and finding that applying for a job and being given an honesty test brings out the dishonesty in me have all been really big challenges for me. I feel like I've been living in a state of hot water-ed existence ever since I left G.K.'s wise words on the whiteboard in my bedroom turned Mom's office. I've found this week to bring me to a place of humility in how I see myself and my need for God's help and support in everything. It the same time that it has been far from fun at times, I am thankful to God for the time so far.

May you find yourself in hot water. My experience proves that it keeps you clean and brings you into the arms of God…if you want it to.

Isaiah 30:15