The Good Provider

When I was twelve and playing Pee Wee hockey, I scored a goal in every game for a while. Game after game, I was in the right place at the right time. It was one of the best times in my life. The only way it could have been better would have been seeing my father in the stands at a game. However, he worked two jobs and he never had time for things like that. He paid for the hockey, but never did come to a game.

One winter, during my hockey years, he got some wood, framed up a small area in the backyard, and lined it with plastic sheeting. Then he filled it with water which froze. It was a tiny skating rink. It was too small to do much and there was actually better ice in a nearby swamp. Still, my father had built it for me, and that meant something.

Our relationship became strained after I grew up. There were times when I went negative when I thought about him. Now, I choose to think about the little skating rink he built for me. I wish I had a picture of it. My father worked a lot and he was a good provider. I’m very fortunate to have had the father I had.

Jokes from the Road Less Traveled.

Your Florida Dream Home! Open floor plan!

Take time to smell the humor. 

People talk about taking time to smell the roses, but I think it’s just as important to look for humor and opportunities to laugh. When people tell funny jokes, they make the world a better place for everyone. And the most likely place to find original funny jokes is your own life. If you’re a reasonably normal person and you think something is funny, there’s a good chance someone else will too.

One day I came home from a trip to the bank a different way than I had gone before. The neighborhood had trailer homes, including the one in the photo. The trailer looked absolutely uninhabitable.  I thought to myself, “What are the chances that someone would drive by, look at that place, and want to move in?”

It just struck me as very funny. When I posted the photo, I added a description. “Open floor plan. You’ll feel like you’re living in the great outdoors.” Lots of people who have seen the pic have gotten a laugh out of it.

So, when you see something funny or something funny happens to you, don’t just laugh inside and forget it. Make some sort of note, mental or otherwise, and chew on it for a few days to see if there might be a good joke or story to tell from it. Comedians and other performers do this all the time, and you can too.

One good setup can lead to many punchlines.

One of the best tools of the trade in telling jokes is getting several laughs out of one setup. Rodney Dangerfield had tens of thousands of punchlines to go with his “I don’t get no respect” setup. Likewise, Jeff Foxworthy built his early act around his “You might be a redneck if” setup. I used to do lots of Murphy’s Law jokes with the setup “You might be a Murphy if…”

Jerry Seinfeld once said, “Sometimes the road less traveled is less traveled for a reason.” I got to thinking about all the things that could go wrong when one takes the road less traveled. Here are some examples of how one good setup can lead to lots of good punchlines.

I took the road less traveled.

I haven’t got a clue where I am now.

How else would I have gotten here?

It wasn’t the best decision I’ve ever made.

It seemed like a good idea at the time.

From there, things went downhill.

I should have noticed the no trespassing sign.

I’ll be sticking to paved roads from now on.

It didn’t work out very well.

I really need to get my GPS fixed.

It led to a bridge that was out.

It led to a town less populated.

There was an unfortunate incident.

There were vultures circling overhead.

I couldn’t get a signal for my cellphone.

Sorry I’m so late.

If you can think of another funny punchline about the proverbial road less traveled, please put it in the comments. 

If you liked this blog post, you might like Humor 101: How to tell jokes for power, prestige, profit, and personal fulfillment. 

Check it out at Amazon.com.

Shaking Down the Highway with Positive Assumptions

Vasquez Rocks, CA

During a trip to Los Angeles, I rented an SUV from Fox Rental Cars. The drive to my destination was about two hours. By the time I got there, I could tell something was wrong with the steering. It wasn’t bad enough to make the driving dangerous. There was just an unusual shakiness which was very annoying.

I only needed the car for a week. Even though I knew I could change to another vehicle, I didn’t want to waste my limited time driving back downtown. In L.A. traffic, going back and forth would have taken half a day. 

My shoulder started to ache on the second day and the pain got progressively worse. I’ve had considerable experience with pain and it soon got to a point where I literally could not shrug it off. I obviously needed another vehicle. When I called Fox, the service rep told me, “No problem. We’ll get another vehicle out to your address and pick up the one you have.”

I had assumed that I would have to blow several hours driving to the city in legendary L.A. traffic, changing out the vehicle, and then fighting the traffic a second time driving back. Instead, a vehicle was delivered to my door in a matter of hours. All I had to do was ask.

Anticipation isn’t always a good thing. When making a negative assumption, if at all possible, test it. You might find out you’re wrong.

Can you think of a time when you had negative anticipation and got what you expected? Can you see the value in having positive assumptions? Leave a message in the comments section.

If you liked this post, you might also like some of Danny's ebooks. Check them out on his Amazon page. 

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