- Bill Murphy, Winslow Gardens Resident
God bless those with a sense of humor! They spice up the bland, stuffiness of every day existence. These folks are the ones who seek to brighten your day – even if your day is going just fine.
Bill Murphy says good morning to me from the corner of the empty dining room where he sits after breakfast hours. He has fixed himself a cup of coffee from the open drink station and greets folks who walk through the dining room to go from one building to the other. Today I decide to go over and chat with him for a few minutes.
Bill greets me with a joke: “What did one eyeball say to the other eyeball?” I scramble back into the chaos of disjointed memory cells and amaze myself as I retrieve the answer and reply, “Between us, something smells!”
“That’s great! You remember!” Bill praises me. I’m feeling a sense of pride because remembering jokes is not one of my strong suits. “Here is another one,” Bill tests me again: “What goes up the road and down the road, but doesn’t move?”
This one I don’t remember him telling me before but I can be logical at times and reply, “The lines?”
“That’s right! You’re doing great!” Bill is building my confidence in myself. Who knows? Maybe that standup comedy career I’m dreaming of isn’t as far into the future as I think. Maybe my lifelong dream of being friends with Jim Carrey is on the horizon…
“One more,” Bill says, “What’s the difference between an in-law and an outlaw?” Uh oh. I can’t remember nor deduce the answer. Darn! I know he has told me this one before. I stare at Bill blankly as my dreams on the horizon become further and further away.
Bill finally gets to have his punch line: “The outlaw’s wanted!”
I laugh – now that is funny! Who can’t relate to that?
I told him that I’m writing these down so I will be able to repeat them. And you can help Bill with his legacy of humor by retelling these jokes today. Just tell any joke to anybody today. Humor draws us together through understanding. My laughter means I like being with you and that I understand you. When someone is laughing at your joke, you just can’t feel lonely.