What Makes You Laugh?

What makes you laugh? Most of us don’t laugh enough. If you’re interested in where funny comes from, try Mel Brooks:The 99 Year-Old Man on HBO, though perhaps not if you’re easily offended. A lot of humor offends someone, and we all have our sensitive spots. Comedians aren’t trying to offend...just to make you laugh.

Before I met my husband, my girlfriends thought I was funny, so I thought so too. Not long after we started dating, I realized that he rarely laughed at my jokes or even recognized when I was joking. So, I quit cracking them, losing confidence I’d ever been truly funny.

I wonder if our attitudes toward humor are inherited or learned from our parents, perhaps a blend of the two. My dad is serious minded and does not often laugh out loud or appreciate sitcoms. He found Bill Cosby offensive long before the rest of us.

I remember my friend Laura’s dad, who laughed so readily at just about everything, it seemed, when we were growing up. My mom is more like that and laughs easily at herself, even when she’s done the most embarrassing things.

I tend to laugh out loud like my mom, but I’m somewhat critical about what I find amusing, like my dad. Like my mom, though, I think I laugh more readily as I grow older. I’ve realized how difficult it is to sustain humor in a routine or a show, and I do love a good comedy.

I find that I enjoy humor more when it takes me by surprise. My husband, on the other hand, seems predisposed to smile at a predictable setup in a sitcom or routine of a novice stand-up comic.

Maybe there’s a generosity of spirit in laughing when we know someone’s trying to be funny, even if they fall a little short. After all, we all love it when we’re trying to be funny and someone responds with genuine appreciation. It’s good for them and us.

So, when the waiter asks, “How do you want to take care of the bill?” and my husband says, “I want you to pay it,” or a desk clerk says, “I need to see some ID,” and he replies, “Does it matter whose?” I’ll smile or chuckle to show my appreciation even if they don’t.
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As they say, laughter is the best medicine. I know he only cracks jokes if he’s in a good mood, and I do welcome good moods.