On The Importance of Humor

"Laugh, and the world laughs with you".
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I happen to have been employed by the telephone company my entire working life(nearly 28 years), a fact which makes me something of an anachronism these days; most folks will spend their working lives with a number of employers, and many change jobs with with an alacrity I would find alarming.

While my ability to remain with the company for so long has certainly been comforting, and has allowed me to care for my family, it has also provided me the fodder for one of my favorite pursuits, that of humor.

Let's make a few things clear. I am decidedly NOT a comedian. I simply try to observe some of the things happening around me, and attempt to see the humor in them. Some may see this as sophomoric, and they may have a point. I, on the other hand, view humor as a generally harmless, yet vitally useful, defense mechanism. Self-deprecation is a BIG part of my arsenal; I firmly believe that if you can't laugh at yourself, you likely are in dire need of an ego check anyway, and are to be avoided.

The juxtaposition of the real and the absurd, especially when it comes to the workplace, especially tickles my fancy. 28 years in the warm embrace of Mother Bell has provided me with countless examples of this, to the point where I am absolutely convinced that the company I work for makes money by the truckload in spite of itself. I will not bore the reader with the details; you're just going to have to take it on faith for the moment. It suffices to say that Scott Adams, the creator of "Dilbert", began his career in the Bell System. "Dilbert" is so on-point in my company that it's terrifying, and there are more "Dilbert" strips tacked up in more cubicles than one can possibly imagine.

We live our lives bombarded with information about horrible suffering; Darfur, Haiti, Katrina. The economy has been in the tank for a couple of years, and people are struggling to make ends meet like they haven't had to struggle in decades. Wars drag on in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the gridlock in Washington, in the name of partisan politics, continues ad nauseam.

Humor may well be our last line of defense. Hell, if you don't laugh at the goings-on in the NY State government, you might as well curl up in the corner and twitch. What passes for the political process in my home state truly suspends belief; where else could a former governor, run out of office for advanced hooker procurement, be pulling higher polling numbers than his successor, who may well be an idiot, but is at least currently unindicted?

From Mark Twain to Lewis Black, some of our most illuminating social commentary has come from America's funny bone. While we're laughing, in the back of our heads, a little voice is often saying, "Hey; that's right." We watch Jay, or Dave, or Jon Stewart every night, partially for a giggle, but equally as much to see which fool who shouldn't have opened their mouth on the national stage that day.

So, for heaven's sake, take the time to laugh. It feels good, helps alleviate your troubles, even if only for a moment, and who knows? You might just get someone else to laugh with you.

Until next time,

Excelsior!

On Sex, Religion, and Politics

No, not really.

Well, a trifle on politics. As I may have written before, I live in a small town outside Albany, NY known as Averill Park. Tucked in the hills of Rensselaer County, it's a physically beautiful place, combining lakes, forests, and mountains, and these characteristics help to provide a quality of life my family & I have come to greatly enjoy. There are a variety of cultural, athletic, and community opportunities for folks to enjoy, and blue-ribbon schools to educate our children.

Tip O'Neill, the legendary bastion of the House of Representatives, once said that "all politics is local".

Today, the day we elect members to the AP School Board, those words have never rung more true.

I've been here seven years now, and I have witnessed the factionalization of this community through a few of these elections by now. This year's edition, however, has raised the level of vitriol to heretofore unseen proportions.

What we have here are two diametrically opposed points of view, united by a common hatred.

The mudslinging, name-calling, and underhanded nonsense of many types have become appalling, embarrassing, and ridiculous. The lack of civility in this alleged debate is so overheated, rhetorical firehoses are called for, if only to knock both sides back a bit so they can take a breath.

The technological aspect of this particular election merits mention, as well. The comments found in the blogosphere, on Facebook, and in e-mail have been such that they have graduated to the "mainstream" media; our local newspapers have repeatedly written on the intensity and and overall dissension created by this election. As one individual commented on a blog today, "I wonder what folks without computers are thinking?" A hell of a question, that.

I have a good friend who participated successfully in this process some years back, and, as is his custom, threw himself at the task with all of his considerable ability. While I am loath to speak for anyone but myself, I'd hazard the guess that the nonsense he dealt with throughout his term completely overwhelmed his sense of duty; I am damned certain it would overwhelm mine.

The point of all of this? When a process becomes such a pain in the ass that good people on both sides of the argument choose to separate themselves from the debate rather than participate in it, then the process, or at least the current iteration of it, is seriously broken.

Next time, a happier topic, and a better mood, I promise.

Excelsior!