V i r g i l ’ s V i e w s

Two bored octagenerians were seated across from the convention center where a flower show was in progress.  They were unable to think of anything interesting to do.  Then one jumped up and declared:  “Golly, I’m so bored.  For $2.00 I’d rip off my clothes and streak through all those flowers.  His buddy held up two bills and said “Go for it, and this money is yours.”

The reanimated senior ripped off his clothes and invaded the show.  Soon there were shouts, laughter, clapping and raucous comments from the resulting disorder.  Then  the aged streaker joined his friend who asked how it went.  “Oh,” he said, “I won the prize for best dried arrangement.”

This unlikely story illustrates the role of the absurd in humor which almost always makes a story funny.  The synonym ludicrous may better describe the flower show encounter since it is laughably absurd.

The comments and antics of children usually bring laughter  The famous radio and TV personality of yesteryear, Art Linkletter, was a fan of kids’ comments and even wrote a book titled “Kids Say the Darndest Things.”   At hand for the bored  person tiring of senior jokes are juvenile remarks that are not only funny but often wise as well.

The following comments did not come from Mr. Linkletter.  Instead they are from the web site of a  Texas newspaper, HeraldDemocrat.com of February 19, 2009:  Alan, age 10, responding to “ How do you decide who to marry?” “You got to find somebody who likes the same stuff.  Like, if you like sports, she should like it that you like sports and she should keep the chips and dip coming.”

And to “What do you think your mom and dad have in common?”  Lori, age 8, reported “Both don’t want any more kids.”

After considering the opposite ends of the age range, the interested observer is left with middle age which lends itself to mordant humor:  Unlike the young and senior citizens, people in middle age have to take care of themselves.