Like A Thief In The Night

Like a thief in the night, this presidential campaign has sneaked into our collective souls and ripped out our funny bones! Honestly in the last year, how many times have you laughed so hard tears of joy ran down your face? When have you even twittered or tee-heed? How about a smile from ear-to-ear or a shit-eaten grin?

Seriously folks, without a sense of humor our country is doomed to darkness and despair. We alone must take the initiative to bring back laughter into our lives, because without it I promise you things will only get worse.

Now I'm not talking about making inane jokes at the expense of others, there has been enough of that as far as I'm concerned to last a thousand lifetimes. Let's look inward to find something we've experienced over the years that was hilariously funny and share it with family and friends. We've got to break the chains of anger that have tightened around our minds and hearts because if we can't, explosions of chaos will happen all across this great country of ours. We're already seeing hundreds of protest marches popping up like dandelions, crowding our streets with unwanted weeds of unrest. And if this is just the beginning of a national trend, God help us all!

Twenty-five years ago I was a kindergarten teacher, which was the best job I've ever had the privilege of holding. Each day I couldn't wait to get to my classroom, because I knew something would occur that would put me in stitches!

Picture this: It's the beginning of the noon session and 15 children are sitting in a circle waiting for me to kick off the day. I start by asking what everyone did over the weekend, but before even one person could speak, Jonathan came rushing in with backpack slung over his shoulder and his lips going 100 miles an hour. "My mommy had a baby yesterday. It's a baby sister for me and my brother. Her name is Meghan and I got to hold her!"

"Wow," cried the group in unison.

Once Jonathan joined us, I asked him a few more questions concerning the health of his mom and sister and then proceeded to get back on task. However one of girls, Kristy, who by now was feeling greatly ignored, stood up and announced that her mommy had a baby yesterday, too. Now I knew that this was virtually impossible since Kristy herself had been a change of life child, and furthermore the last time I checked, her mother wasn't even pregnant! But this was getting very interesting, and I just had to see where it was going to end.

With hands on hips, Kristy looked at each of her classmates daring anyone to refute her declaration. Now it was my turn to question its validity.

"Did your mommy have a baby sister, Kristy?"

"No, she didn't," the blonde cherub replied.

"Well, then I guess she had a baby brother?" I remarked.

"No, she didn't have a baby brother either," Kristy said with her distinctive lisp.

By this time, I was thoroughly intrigued.

"Well if she didn't have a baby sister, and she didn't have a baby brother, then what did she have?" I wanted to know.

Before Kristy answered once again she eyed each student, and in a loud and clear voice she announced, "My mommy had a baby kangaroo!"

"Wow," cried the group in unison as Kristy returned to our circle feeling happy that her friends agreed that having a kangaroo was just as amazing as having a baby sister!

It took everything in me to squelch the laughter that was bubbling inside of me and simply agree that both Jonathan and Kristy had had a very eventful weekend.

If this story didn't tickle your funny bone, I'm guessing you've never had one in the first place!

Now it's your time to come up with experiences that have had you laughing your head off, holding your stomach, wiping the tears from your cheeks. It's your duty to share humor at every turn because everyone in our country's circle is depending on you. Be a 'Kristy' if that's what it takes!

Don't let a thief in the night rob you of your right to live in a nation that allows all of us to speak and act freely, and laugh as loud and as long as we choose!