Immune from a good laugh

A co-worker and I were talking today on IM at work. He works for a different team, but we often work together, especially with this training module that we're working on, and we have a lot in common. The bottom line is, he has a quirky sense of humor and often makes me laugh.

We've both been married about the same amount of time and I asked him today if his wife laughed at his jokes. He said, "Not anymore." The same thing is true with Kevin and I. Not to say that our relationship was ever like the Laugh Factory, but we make each other laugh, and that is very attractive to the both of us. Growing up with the Casey's (and the Forsters, in a quieter way!), a sense of humor and the ability to make others laugh was very important.

However, as my coworker and I have discovered, when you've been with someone for a long time (9 years may not be long for some of you out there, but it's my longest relationship...and really my only!) the same old schtick doesn't quite get the same laughs that it used to. If Jeff Probst were calling the game in our house, he'd probably have some type of laughter immunity neckgear to give out when one of us didn't laugh at the other. It's become so typical that Kevin often says, "I knew you were going to say that," or I reply for him in my Kevin voice with his standard one-liners.

However, these same old jokes may kill elsewhere. I think my coworker is funny and he often makes me laugh. But, alas, his material probably elicits an eye roll at home.

It may sound like a sad situation, but the truth is, it just makes you work that much harder for a laugh, and it is that much sweeter a victory when you've earned it. Nothing like having a discriminating audience to refine your repertoire.