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The British (and our antipodean buddies) have always been the world leaders in gallows humour. As it is black Friday, what better day to explore the matter! I've come to the conclusion that the Yanks don't really get it. I googled the subject and there are lots of jokes, but most are just fairly sick takes on bad situations. Proper gallows humour is a joke made by someone about to meet a very sticky end. My Dad, who was an Australian had a great story about a mate of his in the Australian army, who was a Japanese POW. Him and his fellow mates in the camp were starving to death. The camp CO had two fighting cocks, of which he was very proud. One of the camp inmates killed one of the cocks and cooked it up as a tasty treat for the starving men. When the CO found out, he was furious and said that he'd execute 20 POW's unless the perpetrators came forward. My dad's mate, not wishing to see 20 of his mates shot, stepped forward. The camp CO immediately commanded that the guards nail him to a tree and leave him there as a warning. He survived for three days, without food or water, in agony. After three days, the camp CO, feeling a bit sorry for him, decided to put him out of his misery. He lined up all of the POW's and commanded that he be taken down from the tree and shot. Once he'd been brought down. the CO said "You are a brave man, before you are shot, I will grant you one last request". The Aussie shot back "Can your cook up the other cock for me cobber?"
My own favourite example was at the cancer clinic a while back. I was chatting to a rather elderly chap, who was coughing away and in terrible shape. His daughter was with him, but she'd gone off for a prescription. He said "I've stage four lung cancer. I've known I'm on my way out for a while, I can accept that but my daughter can't. She's insisted that I spend thousands of pounds on tests and to see this top specialist, to see if there is anything that can be done, but he's just told me that I'm finished. I've got three weeks. He's prescribed steroids and said that I'll have a week or so when I feel OK, to say goodbye's then I'll go". I said "I'm so sorry to hear that". He replied "Oh don't worry son. I'm alright, I've accepted it. Anyway, I had some good news". I replied (impressed by his fortitude) "What's that". He said "Well, I asked if he was sure it was going to be no more than three weeks and he said yes. So I asked if he could do something to make and old man, who'd spent a lot of money at his clinic happy. He replied "of course". So I said 'Can I have 28 days to pay?". At this we both roared up laughing.
Have a great Friday. If you want to do something great for Black Friday, why not make a donation of food to
Colindale foodbank? Giving a gift to someone who really appreciate it is truly the spirit of Christmas.
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