Mrs. Booker was my 4th Grade teacher at New Bethel School. She was very nice. She spoke with soft low tones. After a year of her demeanor, it was difficult to get used to one of my 5th Grade teachers, Mrs. Hogan. She, too, was very nice, but she spoke with bold louder tones. Mrs. Hogan was African American.
One day she allowed the class to tell their favorite joke. Everyone took turns telling their funny stories. “Who has the next joke?” Mrs. Hogan asked. A girl eagerly raised her hand and began to speak. No sooner than she started, she stopped. She sheepishly said she didn’t want to finish her joke and sat down. Mrs. Hogan insisted that she continue. She stood and reluctantly told this story: “God was standing over His oven baking his wonderful people. He reached in to pull out the next batch and said, ‘Uh -Oh, some burnt ones!’” We all wanted to laugh, but did not dare. All eyes turned to Mrs. Hogan. Mrs. Hogan was bent over laughing! The whole class joined her.
I appreciated Mrs. Hogan’s attitude. Sometimes we take ourselves far too seriously. Laughing is good medicine. Laughing at ourselves is good health.