Seriously?!

Heather over at This Fish Needs a Bicycle got me thinking about people's sensitivities, bad shit that happens, and senses of humor. Apparently she was flamed a bit for appearing insensitive towards cancer by relaying an overhead humorous conversation about said cancer and damn good brownies. It never occurred to me that this might be construed as inappropriate; I suppose that means I am chronically inappropriate, then. Or maybe there is simply a cross-section of the world so humorless and bound by political correctness, they find life offensively inappropriate. Quite frankly, I find life hilariously inappropriate. I don't offend easily. It is truly a puzzlement to me how human beings survive this world without turning the most gut-wrenching, soul-crushing experiences into blissfully-hilarious, knee-slappingly funny, can't-catch-my-breath-from-laughing, sarcasm-says-it-all moments of grace. There is too much time for tears and pain; I say grab the moments where life, even in its ugliest and most desparate form, is celebrated through the communion of laughter. So in response to Heather's introduction, I would like to say back, "My name is Carolina and I too laugh at cancer, crazy people, and also dying." See for yourself, won't you:

• When my grandmother's Alzheimers began to tear her personality apart and she no longer knew my sister and I, we re-wrapped the same book for each gift-giving holiday and presented it to her. She was ecstatic to receive that "new" book every single time.
• When my very close friend learned her breast cancer had metastasized to her liver and she would probably be dead within 3 months, I gave her a bottle of Tequila. No chance of the alcoholism that ran in her family being an issue now.
• When my sister was diagnosed with ADD, I told her the joke, "How many people with ADD does it take to change a lightbulb? Wanna ride bikes?"
• When I had to put my dog, that I loved more than anything on this planet, to sleep, I cried so hard I blew a snot bubble the size of my own head. Tears turned to laughter that was so inappropriate and uncontrollable the vet offerred me a tranquilizer. I said I would just take the rest of my dog's narcotic painkillers instead.