A Hunger Satisfied

Ever wake up in the morning wanting

for something you haven’t had in a

good long time? I had this sudden

craving for a laugh. Yes, a good gut-

level laugh, the kind which hits you

suddenly, one you can’t control. By

nature, I am not the consummate or

spontaneous laugher who guffaws

at the drop of a hat.

Oh, Charlie Chaplain slipping on a

banana peel may get a chuckle out

of me, and I know the Marx brothers

are a stitch, but uncontrolled belly

rolls are an uncommon phenomenon

for me. I suppose you could say I have

a sarcastic way of interpreting silliness

in the world at large.

Straight-faced and emotionally un-

affected, I can look at the typically

humorous and say, Now, that’s funny.

And I may even feign an unassuming

smile, but rarely will I crack-up with

a wild and uproarious outburst. Take

this riddle for instance, one I have

pulled on several friends and relatives

in the past:

What hangs on the wall and whistles?

(There is a thoughtful silence on the

flummoxed faces of those who have

been asked.) “I don’t have a clue,” is

the most likely and confounded reply.

“What does hang on the and whistle?”

And my answer to their great surprise,

“Custard Pie.” With the look of sheer

mental discombobulation, they always

display, I break out into runaway laugh-

ter every time.

Thanks for bearing with me, my friend.

The appetite I had for a hearty laugh

this morning has just been satisfied. I

should be good now to make it through

the next few winter months of mono-

chromatically drab.

Chris Hanch 2-14-17