What's so funny about that?

You ever had one of those days when everything you said was witty and funny? Now, have your ever had one of those days when you tried so hard to be funny you end up losing your timing and nothing seems funny. Well, I had one of those days when I wasn't so funny. It seems like that happens a lot to me, but then again I am no stand-up comedian.

I remember Robin Williams once saying that the hardest part of being a comedian was trying to be funny all the time. You can't be. That's why you are so vulnerable as a comic and a person.

Today, I got struck by a cold. Who would guess that by living in New Orleans where the weather changes 20 degrees faster than you can fix a dark roux. My whole day felt off. Everything was moving in fast motion as I moved about in slow motion. Kids would say hi to me, and it would take me a few minutes to recognize who they were. Soon a cough started to develop that would put a smile on Dr. Kervorkian's face. One of my students asked politely, after I finished a five minute tornado flurry of coughing and wheezing, if I needed to be resucitated. I looked at the 30 teenage boys in my classroom and told them that if I faint I don't want mouth to mouth. Just let me die. They got a kick out of that. Too bad I was serious.

One last thing I tried to do that was funny and it just didn't seem to come out right. I had promised a student, Brian, that I would visit his father's deli shop this weekend to try his famous roastbeef po-boy. If you have ever lived in New Orleans, there is nothing quite like a hot roastbeef po-boy. It's about the sloppiest, ugliest, and most delicious thing you could ever eat. After I pledge my promise for the hundredth time that I would try this famous sandwhich from his father's deli, I decided to be funny again. I adjusted my tone and said to Brian in a straight of a voice, " If the sandwhich stinks you're going to fail my class."
He gave me this sad puppy dog look as if I had took his favorite chew toy away. So, I let him down gentle, with the I'm just joking routine. He then asked if he was passing my class? I said you just took a test and it looks promising.
I tried to regather and rephrase my answer, as if my wounded pride could take anymore, but all that came out was to tell your dad that you're doing great in my class because I don't want your dad spitting in my sandwhich.
Brian retaliated real quickly, "My dad won't spit in your sandwhich, he'll just charged you twice." Great. Try to be funny and it always backfires. My advice, don't try so hard to be funny because most of the time you're just not that funny.