Priceless Humor


Priceless Humor

For centuries stories have been told and retold throughout the world. Why? Because they are entertaining, for one thing. For another, they deal with the human condition. Even stories using animals as characters reflect the situations and actions of our species.

The struggles of life have been with us for centuries as well. Conflict. Famine. Relationship scuffles. Struggles that implore some understanding, some support. Some kind of resolution.

At the same time, nobody likes to be preached to. We prefer to take our medicine with a bit of sweetener. Enter laughter. Humor makes a hard message a bit easier to swallow. Witty humor is priceless humor. A unique combination.

As you know, everyone loves to laugh. Laughter enlivens the spirit. 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 at the great humorists around us. Dave Barry. Mark Russell. Garrison Kiellor. Check out the humorists of history. Moliere. Ogden Nash. 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 comic situation. The consequences that follow are generally laughable.

The world of urban folktales is a rich source of priceless humor. My CD Parking in Manhattan illustrates many humorous circumstances. Folks can relate to and empathize with the characters involved in these hilarious comedies. Priceless situations create priceless humor.

You can also find many examples of priceless humor in world stories. The retelling of such stories never ceases to bring gales of laughter to listeners. 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. There are many similar examples of priceless humor from virtually every country on the planet. These stories will stick with you long after you heard them. At you will find a rich source of priceless humor!

I listen to lots of conversations. They are laden with disasters and catastrophes. And the life lessons are generally hidden from view. As a storyteller, my job is to sift through the data and sort out the meaning. Also, I need to inject a bit of humor to make the tale palatable. Making the story priceless with priceless humor!

Virtually every storytelling genre contains examples of priceless humor. What is the reason for it? Another simple answer. 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!