Everything and everybody is so serious right now. I know, I know. These are really grim times. But unlike any other animal on the planet, at least as far as I know, humans have a particularly unique ability to let off steam and zoom out from even the gravest circumstance through humor and laughter. And for some, humor seems to be off the table. As Robert Plant once sang; “Does anybody remember laughter”?

I feel thankful for having what some call a sick sense of humor. The absurd, provocative, and disgusting have always served me well when I need a good laugh. And however you slice it, the ongoing pandemic is certainly absurd, disgusting, and provocative. Absurd in how fast the virus swept across the globe, disgusting in how it ravages the body of some victims and provocative in that it’s really forcing us to reassess just about everything and anything we’ve previously taken for granted. Which in the long run might be a good thing. At least where the planet is concerned. Probably for its inhabitants as well.

One of my few “humor heroes”, David Letterman, recently made me laugh out loud when I read his commentary about VP Mike Pence’s visit to the Mayo Clinic. So spot on.