"I was born to chew the fat, where others will button their lip." (unatributed)

We did it again. We made it to another Friday. This one turns out to be March 21, 2014, and I say thanks to each one for showing up here at the ole blogger ranch. This is where we pull us up a chair and sit for a spell, enjoy a cup of hot black and strong Community, and generally, just chew the fat. That 'chew the fat' has come to mean conversing forth and back. Those trying to come up with an origin are literally all over the place. Some date it as far back as the 1500's but it no doubt has some connection to when meat was cooked for long periods of time making it very tough. Thus, folks would sit around and gnaw or chew the fat as it were. But, in our case we are doing the conversation forth portion here and at times the back as well when I do answer for the reader. I do enjoy the feedback I get and especially those where folks have enjoyed a hearty laugh or two. They often indicate how it would be nice to have more of those types. And, while I am never opposed to trying to accommodate this type of request, I am, for what it's worth, limited, because each day you get my version of WYSIWYG. That actually is a technical acronym in the computing world and it has to do with editing and presenting information, as in, What You See Is What You Get. In other words, whatever it is that percolates to the finished page each day is whatever I happen to be able to unscramble from all those gray cells who I find mostly acting like they are playing Wheel of Fortune and I'm not always sure whether I am Pat, Vanna, or one of the quirky contestants. Okay. Pass me some more of the fat and let's get on with the chewing.

I think the stuff that is best for a laugh is when we happen upon an unintentional funny. Like the road sign that tells us the road is wet when it rains. Maybe it's the beauty contestant on national TV who came up with this jewel: Question: If you could live forever, would you and why? Answer: "I would not live forever, because we should not live forever, because if we were supposed to live forever, then we would live forever, but we cannot live forever, which is why I would not live forever,.." Or, maybe one of those high paid star basketball players, "I've never had major knee surgery on any other part of my body." Politicians are great sources for coming up with good ones from time to time. In a congressional race here in Texas a number of years ago, here's what one candidate had to say, "That lowdown scoundrel deserves to be kicked to death by a jackass, and I'm just the one to do it." Sometimes they actually come to you in the mail. Here's one from the welfare department in South Carolina: "Your food stamps will be stopped effective March 1st because we received notice that you passed away. May God bless you. You may reapply if there is a change in your circumstances."

My point? Look around. There's a whole lot of funny in the world around us if we are inclined to see it. And, it's okay to have your own little laugh party even if other folks don't get it. There's actually scientific papers written on the mental processes involved in what makes something funny to one person but not to another. Age they say has much to do with it. I'm sure I find jokes about old people a whole lot funnier today than I did forty years ago. I saw a book title that said this: 'You Might As Well Laugh Because Crying Will Only Smear Your Mascara'. That sounds like a pretty good metaphor for trying to see the humor in life, at least, as best we can. Sure. There are times when we are sad. There are times when we grieve. Those are not fun or funny. However, much of life is filled with the antics of us all and they produce a non-stop edition of America's Funniest Videos. Maybe instead of stopping to smell the proverbial roses, we might just get a boost from finding something to laugh about, and even better if it is out loud. Uh huh. That, my friend, will do a body good. Take my word for it. Have a great Saturday and Lord's Day Sunday and I'll try to mosey myself back onto the front porch come Monday for another visit. May God bless each one. Amen.   ....More later.