How embarrassing! So embarrassing! Don’t embarrass me!

How often do I hear that in the playground! It can even be directed at parents. Sometimes our humour relies on another party being embarrassed. This then raises the question ‘what do you find funny and why?’

I shared some of my most embarrassing stories with students on assembly. Fashion is a funny thing when it reemerges. Elastic long skirts are back. When I was a young teacher at St Joseph’s (not this century!) I was walking across the COLA and a Year 8 boy was walking with me and he accidently trod on my skirt. The skirt ‘gently fluttered to the ground’ leaving the young man with an open mouth and a bright red face! I moved very rapidly to rectify the situation (quite frankly I have not moved so fast since!) and whipped the skirt back to its original position. I was embarrassed and so was the young man! I don’t think I mentioned this to anyone at the time, as I was too embarrassed to even speak about it. As time moves on, I feel less embarrassed and see more of the funny side of events. My feelings have changed and I can laugh at myself. That young man, ironically, is now the parent of a student at the school; I wonder if he dares to remember the event as clearly as I do?

With time our perception of events change and our feelings also change. The chicken crossing the road joke was extremely funny when you were 3 or 4 years old however now, would you laugh as much? Humour and embarrassment are also dependent on a cultural context. Thus the comedy shows of the UK and USA are different to comedy in Australia, and appeal to different people. My mother is a nurse and cannot watch youtube videos of people falling or having accidents, as she doesn’t see that potential of injury in any way, shape or form as funny.

When our humour can hurt others, we need to review what we are engaging in. If we humiliate, belittle or are just nasty to another person in the name of humour, or ‘it was only a joke’, I think that doesn’t resonate with the concept of kindness. How is humour and joking around viewed in your family? When does a joke become rudeness?  Where is the line that shouldn’t be crossed? This changes as children grow and develop. The concept of humour changes as children grow and this needs to be discussed between parents and children. We need to question how we make someone ‘feel’ when we tell a ‘joke’ or ‘joke’ about something. Are there ethical considerations that haven’t been thought about? How does your humour contribute to the type of person you are, and how do you want people to know and remember you?

A sense of humour is a true gift and is part of our human interactions. People are sometimes referred to as having a ‘dry wit’. They are able to have a quick comment that is neither hurtful nor upsetting, to an individual or a group of people. A smile and a laugh make the world a better place, especially if it is done with kindness. Jesus calls us to act with kindness, to find joy in our world and share or joyful experiences  with others.

Ms Amanda Wilson

Principal