The formula is Tragedy + Time = Comedy.
I first became aware of this when I heard about comedian Tig Notaro and how she turned her diagnosis of breast cancer into a comedy routine.
Regular readers know my own mother died last Sunday, April 12th. The further away from that date, the more the sorrow recedes and I can see some of the lighter moments.
Like the mortician showing up in a pink shirt, pink and blue tie, and tan slacks.
“I thought you guys always dressed in black.”
“Not any more. Black is too depressing. And it’s too hot in the summer.”
When I arrived at the funeral home, I was greeted by an old acquaintance. Unfortunately, she recognized me before I remembered her. The funeral director couldn’t resist having a bit of fun with this. At the end of our session, he teased her “He was a lot nicer than you said.”
By the way, if you really want to help people when they need it most, become a mortician.
For more on Tig Notaro, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tig_Notaro
Tig’s cancer performance is on the CD Live (as in to live life). She also discusses other personal setbacks in an amazing performance. http://www.amazon.com/Live-Tig-Notaro/dp/B00AR9GK8A/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1429320457&sr=1-1&keywords=tig+notaro#customerReviews