“What are you – a comedian?”
Nope, these professionals aren’t – aren’t comedians, that is. They operate on a different spectrum. They sometimes share similarities with comedians, but their humor is often more subtle, more cerebral.
Who are they? They’re humorists.
There’s even one month a year dedicated to them. March is always ‘Humorists are Artists Month.’ The acronym especially makes me giggle: HAMM. Anyone who performs to generate a living laugh track has probably been called a ham at some point, and I salute you. It’s something the rest of us admire and benefit from more than we realize.
The Invisible Disabilities Association is fortunate enough to know one especially humorous humorist who is a valued friend to our organization, Karyn Buxman. She makes the rest of us realize that, no matter the situation, there is humor to be found in it. You’ve read her writings and giggled. If you’ve been fortunate enough to see her perform, you’ve laughed hysterically and no doubt, uncontrollably.
And no, Karyn doesn’t know I’m writing about her. So shhh, it’s our little secret.
I gotta tell ya, it’s not easy being intentionally funny. Karyn and so many other humorists have admirable ability and perseverance. Theirs is a craft, an art form. Some of us might make others laugh on occasion, more by accident than anything. But intentionally, repeatedly, and consistently? C’mon, who does that? Oh yea, the humorous artists among us.
And aren’t we grateful? I can’t imagine a world without humor, without an expert in the subject leading the way forward for the rest of us. I especially can’t imagine life without them when the world is otherwise gray and bleak, as it especially can be in all things medical. As a patient, I’ve often needed the respite that humor brings. And patients’ caregivers need those laughs, too.
While the rest of us can sometimes bring a needed chuckle to those around us, we’re all the better for having in our midst those who are professional-grade serious about the craft of doing so. They reliably pull us out of our funk. They put a positive spin on situations we find ourselves in, and are especially needed in the difficult situations found in the healthcare arena.
We can and do learn from humorists. They might not always be right there along side us, yet their funnyisms sometimes resonate in our minds and spirits when we most need them.
Here’s to you who professionally cheer us, and cheer us on with the art of humor. Thank you for putting the funny back into the unfunny and helping us persevere when we otherwise couldn’t. Cheers to you!
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Reprinted with kindly permission from the Journal of Nursing Jocularity.