Sunday, August 18, 2013

What's so funny about death?

Teddy - the bear with 9 lives!


Actually, it's a little difficult to find anything really funny about death - okay, let's be honest -  it's very challenging. Death and dying are serious events, especially when you find yourself in the unfortunate, and undesirable midst of them.

However, there's one type of comedy that embraces these topics - black humour. One online dictionary  describes it as, "a form of humor that regards human suffering as absurd rather than pitiable, or that considers human existence as ironic and pointless but somehow comic." It also says that black humour originated in 1965 -1970. 

Hmmm... although the term " black humour" may have been coined in the mid 60's, finding something to laugh about death has surely been around since the beginning of walking apes, or whenever.... Humour  is a universal coping strategy for insanely horrible situations.

There are a number of websites with black humour and death jokes.  However, I heard my favourite death joke a few years ago from the Scandanavian American keynote speaker at a Dealing with Grief conference here in Calgary. Here's the Wikipedia version:

Ole went to the doctor for a physical. After Ole was dressed the doctor came in and said "I am sorry Ole, but you are very sick and have only a few weeks to live".

Ole went home with a heavy heart to tell Lena the news. After Ole told Lena he sat in his easy chair and Lena went to the kitchen. Soon a heavenly aroma came from the kitchen. Lena was making his favorite cookies! "Lena must really love me" he thought. Ole went into the kitchen and started to take a cookie. Lena slapped his hand away and said "Get avay! Dese cookies aren't for you, der for da funeral!"

Did you laugh? Yes, no, were you offended?

In my quest to find some respectful, appropriate ways to bring some comic relief to my tweets about death, I spent a couple of fun hours in a Twitter humour class this morning. I'm looking forward to practicing what I learned - I apologize NOW for any and all  offense I may cause!


In the meantime, what death jokes, or humourous death stories, true or fiction, have made you laugh right aloud? I'd love to hear them.

Warmly
Wendy
Party planner for Calgary's Death Cafes

Thursday, August 8, 2013

True Confession about Calgary's Death Cafe

                                                                
Death Cafe  =  cakes and chat about all things death.

I hope you're sitting down - I'm making a confession.

For each of the past four Calgary Death Cafes, I have baked the same cake recipes, and worn the same brown blouse (except for the CBC news visit - I gussied up).

Comfortable, old-fav, boring brown blouse.
The cakes were delicious and devoured, and the blouse comfortable albeit boring. But it's time for change!

SO, I forked over big bucks for a new T-shirt, and now I'm on the hunt for NEW cake recipes! Yours!

I beg you, if you've got a delectable, easy-to-make cake recipe you're willing to share, my measuring cups are standing ready.

Maybe it's the cake you made for the first love- of- your- life" (which wasn't) or the recipe you found in a tattered 1940's cookbook; maybe it's the cake from "I wish I could forget" family reunions, or the easy-peasy cake you take to friendly potluck dinners - if you enjoy it, chances are the guests at a Death Cafe will also rave about it!

Now, I know that asking for your recipe is already a huge favour, "but wait, there's more!"  If you could find the time to share the story behind your cake recipe, it would be WUNDERBAR (wonderful!) ; just a few words, paragraphs - however the baking spirit moves you.

You can post your recipe here in the comment section, or send me an email, and with your permission, I'll post it here;  yycdeathcafe@gmail.com - it's the same address for registering for a Death Cafe.


Please, don't hoard that delectable, easy- to- make recipe in your kitchen drawer ; share it, today. The courageous, remarkable guests at Calgary's Death Cafes and I will say " Thanks, Merci, Dankeschoen, Grazie, Tak, Obrigado, Dank u, Dankie, Asante, Anksthay!"

Wendy