Priceless Humor is Priceless!
Stories have been told and retold for centuries throughout the world. How come? Because they are entertaining, for one thing. For another, they deal with the human condition. Even animal characters in stories act out the situations of our own humanity.
The struggles of life have been with us for centuries as well. Conflict. Famine. Thorny relationships. All of which beg for some direction, some assistance. Some kind of resolution.
Needless to say, no one cares to listen to preaching. We prefer to take our medicine with a bit of sweetener. Enter laughter. It is the honey in the brew. Witty humor is priceless humor. 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). This is priceless humor.
Look around you at the great humorists. Dave Barry. George Carlin. Garrison Kiellor. Check out the humorists of history. Mark Twain Henry Fielding All of them were storytellers. Painting scenes with priceless humor.
Priceless humor… what makes it priceless? The answer is simple. Priceless humor involves situations which most of us have experienced. The missed appointment. The misunderstood comment. The laughable consequences generally follow in quick succession.
The world of urban folktales is a rich source of priceless humor. My CD Parking in Manhattan illustrates many humorous circumstances. These hilarious comedies involve characters everybody can relate to and empathasize with. Priceless humor arises out of priceless situations.
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” My CD World Full of Stories has many examples a listener can enjoy. These are just a few examples of priceless humor. These stories will stick with you long after you heard them. At www.jaystetzer.com you will find a rich source of priceless humor!
When I am out and about, I tune into conversations around me. They are laden with disasters and catastrophes. The conversants generally cannot see the life lesson they offer. As a storyteller, my job is to sift through the data and sort out the meaning. To make the tale palatable, I inject a bit of humor. Priceless humor.
There is priceless humor in virtually every genre. What is the reason for it? Simple answer number two. We learn best when we are laughing. There is often a lesson to be learned through a story with priceless humor. Priceless humor is… priceless!
January 14th, 2009 at 12:32 am
And as long as we are laughing at the foibles of others (and not ourselves) we find those situations funny. This is priceless humor.
Look around you at the great humorists. Art Buchwald. George Carlin.
January 15th, 2009 at 12:33 am
Think of all the pleasurable hours an entire CD of stories can provide. Think of the glimpse it can give into cultures and customs from countries around the world.
My “Recordings” page on this website lists three story CDs. Fables in Four Minutes contains ten wonderful stories from ten different storytelling genres. World Full of Stories has a dozen stories that will take the listeners on a trip around the world.
January 16th, 2009 at 12:34 am
I will remember this blog. Keep the good posts coming.
January 17th, 2009 at 12:35 am
Liked your blog.
January 18th, 2009 at 12:35 am
And different listeners will carry away different messages. This kind of story is generally attractive to a wider audience. The subtler lessons tend to come from longer tales. Epic stories have many layered lessons Just compare a tale from the Arabian Nights to a fable by Aesop to see the difference. Which one appeals to you? My personal penchant is for finding my own lessons when I listen to a story.
January 19th, 2009 at 12:36 am
Some of them are downright exasperating! One of them involves purchasing gifts for my children. Holiday gifts. Birthday gifts. Gifts rewarding good behavior. I would search high and low for something meaningful, something unique.
January 20th, 2009 at 12:36 am
Blog is great. This was really great.
January 21st, 2009 at 12:37 am
Glad i found this.
January 26th, 2009 at 12:41 am
com.
When I am out and about, I tune into conversations around me. They are laden with disasters and catastrophes. The conversants generally cannot see the life lesson they offer. As a storyteller, my job is to sift through the data and sort out the meaning.
January 27th, 2009 at 12:41 am
Thanks so much for posting this.
January 28th, 2009 at 12:41 am
Very awesome.
January 29th, 2009 at 12:41 am
As a culture grows, so do its world stories.
I have been blessed by the number of world stories I have found from my travels around the world. And each time I visit another country I have the opportunity to learn a bit about it. Rituals and customs. Daily habits and geography.
January 30th, 2009 at 12:42 am
It did not take very long to realize that a good gift is rare gift. A meaningful gift is even harder to find. And when I did find a special gift, I regarded it as something of a treasure. And I anticipated that my children would do the same.
I am now a grandparent.
January 31st, 2009 at 12:43 am
Something that helps us to find our personal “true north. Something that gives us perspective.
Looking for inspiration? You can find inspirational stories and more at http://www. jaystetzer. com.
February 2nd, 2009 at 12:44 am
A meaningful gift is even harder to find. And when I did find a special gift, I regarded it as something of a treasure. And I hoped my children would do the same.
I am now a grandparent. And I am always on the lookout for a unique gift children would enjoy.