Netting Priceless Humor
Posted 06/18/09
Stories have been told and retold for centuries throughout the world. How come? Because they are entertaining, for one thing. Another reason is that they deal with the human condition, one way or another. Even stories using animals as characters reflect the situations and actions of our species.For centuries as well, life has been a struggle. Conflict. Famine. Relationship scuffles. All of which beg for some direction, some assistance. A resolution of some sort.
Needless to say, no one cares to listen to preaching. We desire to sweeten our bitter medicines. Enter laughter. Humor makes a hard message a bit easier to swallow. Priceless humor is filled with wit and wisdom. An awesome blend of entertainment and enlightenment.
As you know, everyone loves to laugh. Laughter takes the sting out of life. And everyone loves to laugh at the foibles of our own species (as long as it happens at the expense of another). Call it priceless humor.
Look at the great humorists around us. Art Buchwald. Mark Russell. Garrison Kiellor. Check out the humorists of history. Mark Twain Ogden Nash. Storytellers all. Priceless humor their brush.
What makes priceless humor? The answer is simple. Priceless humor revolves about common everyday experiences. The lost keys. The misunderstood comment. The consequences that follow are generally laughable.
The world of urban folktales is a rich source of priceless humor. Listeners can readily find many humorous circumstances in my CD Parking in Manhattan. These hilarious comedies involve characters everybody can relate to and empathasize with. Priceless situations create priceless humor.
You can also find many examples of priceless humor in world stories. These stories always bring gales of laughter when they are told. Two good examples from my CD Fables in Four Minutes are "Rock Soup" and "Herschel in the Woods" Listen to "The Egg Seller" or "Hickory Dock" from World Full of Stories. There are many similar examples of priceless humor from virtually every country on the planet. You will find yourself remembering these stories for a very long time. You can find priceless humor and more at www.jaystetzer.com.
When I am out and about, I tune into conversations around me. They are filled with catastrophes and disasters. The conversants generally cannot see the life lesson they offer. It is my job as a storyteller to sort out the meaning from all the information I hear. Also, I need to inject a bit of humor to make the tale palatable. Making the story priceless with priceless humor!
There is priceless humor in virtually every genre. What is the reason for it? Another simple answer. We learn best when we are laughing. There is often a lesson to be learned through a story with priceless humor. It just goes to show what a treasure priceless humor can be.
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