Simply, He Made Me Laugh

I was at the gas station this morning and a man came up to me and I could just tell he was going to tell me a joke...I don't know why, I just felt it. He wasn't laughing or smiling even. He was unwrapping a pack of smokes and headed toward the trash bin next to where I was pumping gasoline.

He says, "A man tells his wife they are going out. He tells her it is a very expensive place. The woman gets dressed up and they go." Then the man asks me, "Do you know where they went?" I said, "No." He said, "He took her to the gas station!" I laughed. Not because the joke was particularly funny, but because I admire the way he just didn't give a shit. A joke was on his mind and he was going to share it. Period! I liked that.

Living in Laguna Beach, my mind started searching thru the rolodex in my head of all the expensive restaurants. I figured he must be talking about one of them...This whole thing took all of a minute, but he brightened my day. It is such a simple thing to do too. Just a smile or a hello can brighten somebody's day.

Last night I took Zoe and her friend to Chorus at the high school. Katharine and I sat in the car on PCH waiting for the studio to open and others to arrive for their rehearsal. I didn't want to go home all the way back up the hill, for a half hour and then go back down...So, a man gets out of a car and I recognize him from the very funny tongue in cheek plays called Lagunatics. The same theatre is producing The Sound of Music, in which Katharine plays Brigitta. Anyhow, he has done Lagunatics for years and is very funny and looks great in a dress. He put his head down to say hi to me and I said, "Hey." Katharine shouts out, "Mommy!" She was horrified that I spoke to him. I guess it is that embarrassing your teenager thing, which both hub and I do so well, and quite frankly, enjoy. Even though she is not quite thirteen yet.

When Katharine came home from rehearsal, she told me what a good job the man did playing his part. I was not surprised. Although, he pronounced Brigitta (Brageeta) as Brajeeta...I asked if she or the director corrected him. She answered no. I suppose he will hear it pronounced enough that he will do it accurately by the time the performances roll around. At least I hope so.

It is hard for kids who are told not to talk to strangers, to understand that even though mommy didn't know that man, she said, "hi." Or if a mother tells the little darling to say hello, after she is spoken to. Although at this age, it is not, it is more about being embarrassed. But for the little ones who are smart, they do ask, as ours did. "Why are you talking to strangers, when we are not supposed to?" And, "Why are we being rude by not answering a stranger?" Very good questions because bad guys don't always look bad. But, we told them that if we are with them, it was okay. That was basically all we could say. What about making friends? If they don't talk to strangers, how will they make friends? Talking to kids in their classes or play group or a social event is not talking to strangers. It is getting to know someone! Right? Just an observation...

But, the man with the joke this morning, he made me laugh. And that was nice!