One Fish, Two Fish

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We come from people who brought us up to believe that life is a struggle, and if you should feel really happy, be patient: this will pass.

Garrison Keillor

I wonder how many of you have heard of the radio program on NPR A Prairie Home Companion. It’s kind of an old fashioned radio variety show with famous musical guests (usually folk or traditional music), tongue-in-cheek radio dramas and the wonderful witty story telling of the show’s host Garrison Keillor. Whenever I get the chance I will tune in on either Saturday evening or Sunday afternoon for a nostalgic and witty visit to Lake Woebegone (Keillor’s hometown).

I mentioned in a blog around Thanksgiving that I do a little weekly trivia challenge with the boys at my school. I usually try to pull questions from some of the things they’ve been learning about in History or Science. But I’ll also throw some questions in there about Bella, Edward and company since they’ve all ready the Twilight series - which totally cracks me up by the way that all these big tough guys are into the vampire love story. Anyway, lately inspired by A Prairie Home Companion, I’ve been adding some “punny” jokes to the mix just to test their reaction time and see who gets it and who doesn’t…which also totally cracks me up. Some of them laugh right away but some of them get a sort of puzzled blank expression on their face for some seconds before the light bulb turns on.

Here are some of my favorites:

Technology: I don’t need a smart phone. I just need is one that is reasonably intelligent.

Animals: What came before chimpanzee? Chimpan Y.

Politics: If con is the opposite of pro, is congress the opposite of progress?

Relationships: Why did God create man before he created woman? He didn’t want any advice.

But the best reaction came from “The Goldfish Joke.”

Two goldfish are in a tank. One fish says to the other fish, “Do you know how to drive this thing?”

Painful? Perhaps, but it made all of them smile…eventually, and that's not the easiest thing to do with my little delinquent boys sometimes.

Try it out and see if it works for you.