The gods, too, are fond of a joke.

— Edward Albee, from Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf

DURING TODAY'S WORKSHOP...

We read humorous poems and played a game based on apple allusions. We heard UU jokes and thought about the roles stereotypes and put-downs play in humor. We also asked ourselves what is spiritual about laughing.

REFLECTION QUESTION:

How has your sense of humor changed since childhood?

EXPLORE THE TOPICS FURTHER WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS...

• Make a few pocket poem cards of poems that are funny or can otherwise brighten your day. Pocket poems are individual poems printed on little pocket-size cards that you can hand out, keep, carry, trade, inspire, and remind. One way to make them is to type the poems into a business-card-size template of a word processing or label-making program and print them out on perforated card stock (the kind people buy to make business cards). You can also print them on index cards. Put them in different places, such as your school locker or someplace at home, or tape them into your diary or journal. If you ask your friends to do the same, you can trade pocket poems with each other.
• If you have not already done so, check out Poetry 180. This website features one hundred eighty poems, enough to read one aloud each day of the school year. Read the poems to yourself or ask your English teacher if she/he would like to start a Poetry 180 program. In such a program, the morning announcements include a new poem every day. Teachers can refer to the poem during class. Youth can discuss it at lunch. You can also use the website at home and share a poem with your family every weekday. Many of the poems are humorous. The website has more information on creative ways to use Poetry 180.
• What do the UUs in your congregation think of UU jokes? You could take a poll. Ask members of the congregation if they have a favorite UU joke they would like to contribute to the congregational newsletter. Write a short piece for the newsletter explaining why you are interested in UU jokes and the jokes submitted to you. Publish only the jokes that are not put-downs of other groups or religions.