I find things very funny, but I'm not funny. I used to be way more funny. Is it the chronic pain from my back? I keep reading how pain makes your brain get all messed up. I'd think a sense of humor might be the first thing to go. On the other hand, I was way funnier when I was much meaner.
But, seems to me I lost my sense of humor a long time ago, found it again, and now, it hovers with insouciance just outside my consciousness.
So I'll keep trying to steal other people's humorousness. Or thinking of names for The Band (our band). I found this self-help book that's pretty good, all round. I'm pondering whether the unfunny side of me comes from the Mennonite/Dutch part. You know - the Funks.
My ancestors, on my mom's dad's side, left Holland around 1536, to become the so-called Prussian Mennonites (the nicer ones). The ones who were all into shunning and stuff went on to become the Amish. Mennonites are way more liberal (and funny) than the Amish.
Later, they went on to become Catherine the Great's Russian Mennonites, then one of them - my great-great-grandpa, moved to central Canada to found central Canada's Mennonites.
Grandpa looked a lot like John Wayne. He had the same name as his original Mennonite ancestor, but he left the Mennonite faith to become a missionary in Hawaii. He converted to being Assembly of God-Pentacostal (I know, I know), but in his heart, he was still Mennonite, I think. His sister, my mom's auntie, went on to marry into the Jackson family and produce a very famous - Buddhist - basketball coach.
Religion was important to Granny's family, too. But, they were more mainstream and ecumenical. Granny is related to James Madison (great great great grand niece or whatnot) and a direct descendant of the remarkably unfunny Zachary Taylor.
My dad is funny though, so there's that. His grandmother, Ka'imi'ike'nao'u'ao fell for a guy known for his sense of humor and his wiles with women (Kamakawahine, some people have heard of him - Big Island guy). But ultimately she spent more time married to my step-great-grandfather, Mr. Jinn. Grandma K had 11 children with 7 different "husbands." That was before the missionaries came. She mostly lived by herself after the kids were grown. She laughed easily, but her daughter, my grandma, was a rather serious woman whose hobby was translating Christian hymns into Hawaiian.
The story of my life - except I'm a girl. And I don't wear plaid.
