The Jokester Gene...

I think maybe that the motivation to be a "jokester" must be a genetic thing. Before I was born, and while I was growing up, my father was a very big practical joker and as soon as I was able to think coherently on my own, I became one also. A few years later, my younger brother Tony started exhibiting all of the same symptoms (except his were a lot more predominate than mine!).

Twenty some odd years later, my son Christopher - at a very early age, started showing all of the signs and soon became very adept at tormenting me. One of the first incidents I can remember was when Chris was about four years old and it involved ketchup. His mother and I had taken him to a local fast food joint where the ketchup was available in those tall plastic squirt bottles. As I was preparing to feast on a much anticipated burger, my son suddenly yelled "Dad look!" As I quickly turned my head towards Chris, I found myself face-to-face with the ketchup dispenser in his hand and had absolutely no time to avoid the massive amount of red substance exiting out of the tip of the dispenser and headed for my face.

The ketchup was in my hair, covered my glasses, and had even entered my mouth since it had been wide open in startled reaction to what my son was doing.

Chris and my wife thought the whole thing was pretty darn funny which was quite apparent by the laughter that emanated from their mouths. Me, I just didn't see the humor in it at the time.

It took me like, 10 years to finally think it was funny.