There must be a light under the bushel!

Close Call

Some days you just have to realize how lucky you are. I don't think we do this very often. Instead, we are quick to recognize the bad things that happen to us. Every once in a while, something happens that makes me pause. I'll understand that I had a close call and my day could have been very different. Still, the thought doesn't stay with me all day. I'll reflect on what could have happened for a few minutes, but then I get back to business as usual.

I had one of those moments recently. However, this instance is sticking with me, partly because of the horror of it and partly because of the humor. Trust me, I know that's a strange combination, but I think you all can relate with me. Even though it's startling to feel that combination of emotions, we've all been there. Seeing someone perform an ungainly, arms flailing, feet flipped over the head fall can bring out this emotion. We didn't want the person to be hurt, but damn, it was funny to watch! Another example is one of my particular fears (especially after my trip to Venice, a pigeon's paradise). It's the bird poop on the head. As long as it's happening to someone else, it's freaking hilarious, even though it is disgusting.

America's Funniest Home Videos has made a fortune on this concept. I can't find an explanation for why we love to see other people in less-than-ideal situations. We don't generally care for these bad things happening to ourselves; we can relate with the pain and/or embarrassment of someone else experiencing them, yet we laugh. Maybe it somehow brings us comfort, a sense of connection, that other people feel the same uncomfortable things that we do and our laughter is an expulsion of relief.

I'm obviously not going to find the answer to this philosphical dilemma, so I'll just get on with the funny crap. I went into the bathroom, and there was a mosquito camping out inside the bowl. I had to do a clean bowl flush in order to scare the blood-sucking critter out of there. That's when I paused. Although it might have been a funny story to tell, had I not seen that mosquito before I sat down, my day could have been a lot worse...