Funny Things in Families

We all figure that family is important to us all.  Some families fight, and we all have heard that is ok but if someone from the outside comes in to fight a family member you better watch out.

Within families there are stories that can be considered funny, and others that are not wanted to be told either. Other words all families have their secrets.

There are those who may be known as a black sheep.  They may have done something that the family considers bad enough that they do not want others to know are part of the family.  It could be third cousin Fred who spent time getting in trouble in his youth and spent time juvenile hall.  By the way I don’t have third cousin Fred if you were thinking of it.

There were times that I thought of myself as a black sheep though I did not do anything that would shame the family. The truth is that I walked to a different drum beat then the rest of the family. Being different though makes you feel insecure at times; however, it is OK to be walking at a different drum beat. I am sure all of us have felt that way at times.

I am not sure if I remember a lot of funny stories in the family but I know that there were some. I will give a few of them but will protect their names.

One summer our family took a sailboat trip to Victoria then through San Juan Islands. While being in Victoria mother had come up by car and ferry with one of my brothers who had been going to summer school. Anyway she had spent part of a day washing clothes to bring up to join us. Of course we need to have some clean clothes at that point.  She gave a basket of clothes to my other brother to take to the boat. While walking to the boat my brother could not see above the basket of clothes so he walked off the end of the dock instead of making a left turn right into the water. All the clothes our mother had spent hours washing and drying landed in the water along with my brother. I yelled out trying to warn him but he did not hear me. It was funny to see my brother walk off straight on the dock. Of course, mother was furious at the time which was understandable. Now she can laugh about it but was certainly not funny to her at the time though I thought it was funny. Nothing better than happen to a brother who seemed to be perfect up to that moment.

 I would say that story is one that I remember the most. One of my Uncles though would tell a Groucho Marx bit and he would say it over and over again. The first time was OK but by the fifth time it started to get a bit annoying. When I first heard it from my uncle I had no idea he got it from Groucho Marx. At that age though I probably never heard of Groucho Marx anyway; the bit was about the bear and my pajamas. If you never heard the bit it ends with what was the bear doing in my pajamas. Like I say the first time funny but repeat several times you want him to stop.

I know that there are other stories that happened in my family that were funny just like in your family but all I can remember at this time. When I do come up with them in mind I will pass them on.

Besides funny stories and black sheep of the family there are always odd balls in every family. Of course the uncle I mentioned with Groucho Marx is near the top.

I believe we all need colorful people in our lives or life will be dull. At the very least we need to be able to laugh at ourselves. It beats the alternative where others laugh at us with the wrong motives. Life can be very mean if others laugh at us the wrong way. I find it a lot better when I can be funny for the right reasons.

The important thing is to remember the funny stories even if it just one. We all need to laugh out loud often even over the same thing.

Laughter is very good medicine. It is even better than giving your favorite teacher an apple first thing in the morning.