One of the joys of working with youth is that there is never a shortage of laughter. They are pretty funny people. Their observations tend to be skewed by their inexperience, but it's almost always good for a laugh. Teenagers are also the masters of a good comeback. Their timing is usually impeccable and it comes at time when the mood is getting way too somber for teens.
This became very evident to me over Labor Day Weekend at our Youth Group Retreat. Nothing bonds a group more than spending every waking moment with each other, eating, not sleeping, talking and eating some more. Sleep deprivation adds a certain element to every comment, question and comeback that enhances the "funny" quotient and makes ordinary things the most hilarious situation you've ever come upon.
Not to say that my family provides a lack of humor. My family get-togethers, while too far and far between, usually include late night card games. We begin the competition ready to wage battle and it almost always deteriorates to tears as we laugh so hard that soda comes out someone's nose (usually mine).
Anyway, this Labor Day weekend left me thanking God once again for job that allows me to spend time with teenagers. It really keeps you humble. You can't get too cocky when the kids are telling stories about your hair being so scary that it terrified three obnoxious seventh grade boys and made them scream like little girls.
The first night of any trip is a complete sleep loss as you try to quiet excited kids and "make" them go to sleep. No one can make anyone go to sleep. The best you can hope for is silent. Teenagers will try anything to keep you from knowing they are awake and doing things you would prefer they didn't. It was during this first night, somewhere around 3 a.m. that I started to think about stupid questions that no one should ever ask... or worse yet, answer.
Stupid Question #1 - Do I look stupid? OK, well.... um... yeah. Never ask this question, especially to teenagers. They will have a good answer and you won't like it.
Stupid Question #1A - How stupid do I look? Do you really want to know? I don't think so.
Stupid Question #2 - Do I look like I was born yesterday? Well, obviously not. I don't color my hair for no reason at all.
Stupid Question #3 - Do you expect me to believe that? Yes, or they wouldn't have gone through the trouble of making it up.
As the weekend progressed, we tackled some pretty deep issues for a teenage mind. At one point, I was confronted by one of my biggest pet peeves - the cracking of joints, necks, etc. I made the comment that this drives me crazy. At this point, one of the boys asked, "can I come?", which was followed closely by "shotgun"! I guess the second teenage boy was hoping to get the front passenger seat.
While working as a Pharmacy Technician at a hospital, we often had students rotate through our department. This was where the rubber met the road. Time to turn book learning into practical experience. These students were always good for a laugh. After spending several minutes trying to calculate a dosage of potassium chloride for a patient, the student presented their recommendation to the pharmacist. The pharmacist looked at the dosage and declared, deadpan "this is great.... if you want the patient to die." Of course, this would seem morbid to those who don't work in a high stress environment. It was clearly a teaching moment.
Life is tough. Some situations have no humor in them. There are days that seem so heavy with burden that it takes effort just to stand up straight. God knows this. When things look the bleakest, look around you. You can fun laughter in the smallest things. God has left that for you to find, knowing that you would need it.
Help someone else find laughter in their day today. It will be a gift to them and to you. I am blessed, as God has created my life in such a way that I am never at a shortage of material. I mean, look at me -- scary hair, sleep deprivation. If that can't get a laugh, nothing will.
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