Laughing in the real world

I try to watch Hee Haw, the longest running politically incorrect show every week because it makes me laugh. Its sexist, fat, and hillbilly/city-slicker jokes combined with old country music can insult just about anyone. In the government environment I retired from people still laughed. Some were nervous laughs felt when a coworker told a politically incorrect joke. Some laughs were just plain silliness. Many laughs were from throwing insults at each other. We were not afraid to insult our coworkers with jokes as much as we were afraid to be caught insulting our coworkers by someone who enforces policy strictly (or rats us out). We could be fired.

Our country has developed a culture of being different, (good) and being afraid to be different (bad). Being individual is a good thing! Having a “thick skin” is the only way to survive in a jungle where there are lots of differences between the animals.

All this talk of bullying at the same time we are bullied into not being individuals but rather bullied into being the same! We are not the same! Dictators have tried and failed to make us all the same! Let’s not be vicious toward one another, but let us grow some thick skins and not forget to laugh, nervous or not.