Oh, come on. I've already done two entries this week that actually stay more or less focused on one subject from beginning to end. Surely, I am allowed one entry of babble?

Besides, what are you really going to do to stop me? By the time you read this, I'll have already done it. You'll know I've done it, because you'll be reading it. Just try and stop me, beeyotch! Bwaahahahah!

***

I've been thinking about Beth lately, for no real reason at all. I used to work with Beth. She had maybe the most annoying personality quirk I'd ever seen. She didn't laugh. I would say something that I thought was at least mildly amusing, and she would look at me wide eyed for a minute, then say completely deadpan, "Wow. That's really funny."

At first, I thought she was just humoring me. She recognised that I was trying to be funny, and she didn't want to hurt my feelings. Well, OK then. Maybe it wasn't funny. I really can't tell. I just say things as they pop into my head. Sometimes they're funny, and sometimes they're not.

So, I kept trying. I started saying every single thing that crossed my mind, even the stuff I knew was lame.

"Wow. That's really funny."

It became a minor obsession with me. I would make her laugh, or at least smile, once. Just once.

"Wow. That's really funny."

Yes. Yes it is. Linda laughed. Nick laughed. Even that customer who overheard it laughed. Why won't you laugh? Why, damn you, WHY???

"Wow. That's really funny."

I spent six months trying to make this girl laugh. Finally, I figured it out. It was at a staff meeting. Nick said something, and everyone but Beth laughed. Then, Beth said, "Wow. That's really funny."

She just didn't laugh. Not at me, not at anyone. Weird. I spent a few days wondering what that was like. I laugh at everything. I've been known to laugh at absolutely nothing at all. (OK, that's only when I'm..."happy." But it does indeed happen) How is it possible that Beth never laughs?

We got along better after that. I reasoned that "Wow. That's really funny." was better than just glazed uncomprehension, or "What the hell are you talking about?" I get that a lot.

previous--next