“Finding The Humor”

I’m having a coffee at my favorite spot before heading over to my sponsor’s place for some step work. I finished up the writing for my latest round of 10, 11, and 12, and we’ve finally found some time in our busy schedules to go over it together.

It’s kind of interesting here at the coffee place. I walked in and somebody’s dog had just barfed all over the middle of the floor. Dude was just sitting in his chair, so either he didn’t notice or didn’t care. Or maybe he figured someone else would clean it up? Anyway, I walked up to the counter and the managing owner was here looking pretty damn pissed off. I don’t blame him. One of gals that works here took a mop out to the floor to clean up the barf and I heard the dog’s owner say he didn’t realize and that he’d clean it up himself. Which he did do. But I saw him sitting in his chair chillin’ when I came in. How could he not notice his dog heaving up all over the floor, five feet away? Ah well. It’s all cleaned up now and the dog’s owner left after doing so. All stuff that’s not my problem.

The JFT talked about finding the humor in life today. Not that life is always funny, in fact all too often it is definitely not. But I agree that it’s important to be able to find the humor in a situation. It’s like that old saying--you gotta either laugh or cry. Me and my fellow addicts talk often about our sick and twisted senses of humor.

My sense of humor is a lot better than it used to be. It used to be that I was so sensitive to any little thing. The idea of just relaxing and having a good a laugh was pretty foreign. And I never laughed at myself. Hell no, I never laughed at myself. I took myself way too seriously. I still can at times, but for the most part I’m able to relax, let go, and see the humorous side of things.

The JFT was right, too, about how keeping our sense of humor can get us through situations that would otherwise be unbearable. It’s so easy to jump to that place in our minds where everything is a crisis, the end of the world, and next thing you know we’re despairing. There’s no need to despair. There’s always help and there’s always Hope.

It’s strange, too, because it’s actually easier than being serious all the time. Or maybe I should say that it takes less energy. I like being able to laugh at myself. I’m not always able to do it, but when I can it’s because I’ve remembered something: that I’m human. Having a sense of humor through life’s difficult times can be a godsend. It doesn’t mean I’m not taking a situation seriously.

As for the dog barf, I’m not really sure what the humor is in that. Maybe it’s one of those things that’s funny when you’re not there ;-)