A friend of mine was sent to the guidance counselor’s office because his jokes where ‘too dark’ and ‘concerning’. I remember him and I laughed about it because we thought that whole situation was just as funny as declaring loudly that we where ‘waiting for the sweet release of death’.
Looking back now, is very possible that our laughter rang hollow. Still it sounded like music in comparison to the silence that might have occupied the space otherwise.
My father though my friends and I where bad for each other because we where encouraging each others depression. I fought him on this, but secretly feared he was right.
Then the ‘dark’ jokes went away for a while…..
Now that they’re back, and my friends are oceans away, they don’t get met with the laughter of solidarity, they don’t even get met with the concern or fathers or guidance counselors.
It’s bad when the dark ‘jokes’ get met with the explicit implication of ‘no time for this kinda thing.’
Its worse when they don’t get met at all.
Writing Things Better 