Dear Readers

Good humor lies in the mind of the beholder.

It is not the content of the joke that makes something funny but the state of mind of the listener. Have you ever wondered why some jokes, even when delivered in the exact same way, make few people laugh till they pass out (figuratively), while making others give a half-hearted snicker? Let me tell you what happened to me this weekend and you will understand better.

My daughter needed her school uniform for an event at school. Since everything can be ordered online now, I texted a school-uniform vendor and put forth my requirement. He said it will be done expeditiously and asked for an address. I provided the required information when the vendor wrote, ‘Very good name ma’am’. Now, I am quite used to people complimenting me on my choice of name for my daughter. I read the message out loud to my mother and gloated over my achievement. She rolled her eyes and asked me to calm down. But I wanted to engage in this conversation and messaged the vendor – ‘Thank you! You have good taste’.

I had barely put the phone down after writing the text when my phone rang. It was the vendor, ‘Ma’am, I need a name for the consignment delivery’. I was confused, ‘Are beautiful names not allowed on delivery packages? Maybe not, they might be too distracting’, I thought to myself. ‘Ma’am, are you there? You have not mentioned a name, please provide so at the earliest to receive the package on time’, the vendor spoke in frustration on not receiving a response from my end. I did not believe what I was hearing, so I quickly gave my name and ended the call.

When I looked up, I found my mother with both of her hands on her belly as she had doubled over laughing. I was stupefied and annoyed with my mother’s reaction, so I opened the chat and scrolled the texts to investigate. To my amazement, the text that the vendor had written was, ‘Your good name ma’am’. I was so stunned by my mistake that I started laughing too. When I showed the text to my mother, we had a barrel load of laughs.

My mother was too eager to tell the joke to my father when he came home in the evening. He listened to her and gave a quiet chuckle. Itching to get a bigger reaction from him, my mother called me up to retell the joke. I reiterated the joke with more animated gestures. It still failed to ignite a bigger response from him. When I tried harder, he lost his patience and asked me to utilize my time wisely. I yielded. The joke had lived its life and served its purpose.

Enjoy the edition

Priyanka