Falling flat, losing your balance, possibly suffering injury or at least a bruised ego. How could that be funny?
Years ago I tried to lighten up a professional trade conference. I pulled out a t-shirt cannon and watched the fabric missiles sail over the audience’s heads and to the back row.
It was a terrible idea. Not because anyone was hurt, but because the joke didn’t land. The room was silent. What on earth was I thinking? I moved on and hoped that it might be forgotten.
But then, eight years later, with friends on a warm summer’s night as we ate spicy Thai food, I got to tell the story. An explosion of laughter followed. A moment when I fell on my face had become joyous comic gold.
The payoff took a bit longer than expected.
Life is a mess, filled with stupid ideas and wrong headed attempts to “do it right”. We are absurd. We are foolish.
But we then get to tell a story to laugh at darkness together.
Keep chasing lights.
