I don’t think that people who make jokes during or about serious things are being insensitive.
I think this is just a coping mechanism, and I have absolutely no problem with that.
If I found out that I had only a few days left to live, I’d need to joke around, or I wouldn’t be able to deal with the circumstances gracefully.
“Mike, I’m sorry to tell you this, but you only have a week to live.”
“I guess that gives me 7 more days to finish writing my 10,000 page memoir from the perspective of a toilet…”
Boom.
Doctors would be like, “I’m not sure you grasp the seriousness of the situation. You only have 168 hours before you cease to exist.”
I’d come back at them- “oh, I totally comprehend the situation. I just choose to spend what time I have left writing a toilet’s memoir. Do you have a problem with that?”
“No, sir. I suppose that’s fine.”
“Ahhhh, I’m just messing with you. This is actually devastating, though.”
You see, that seriousness is still there. Occasionally shoving it down and replacing it with humor takes away its power, even if only for a moment.
Laugh more.
Until next time,
Michael J. Erickson, CEO & Co-Founder
