When Pain Becomes Funny

A little birthday reflection from me, via Annie Ernaux (a French author and Nobel Laureate I’m embarrassed to say I have not read, but this quote is perfect):

Pain cannot be kept intact, it needs to be “processed,” converted into humor. 

Parts of life sucks. But at its worst, it’s a funny story in the making. 

41 years on, and I’ve got some howlers. 

Thanks for reading – raise a glass in my general direction and convert some old pain into humor. 

Ps. as the poetic philosophers Minor Threat once opined:

I want to tell you a little story

‘Cause it makes me warm inside

It’s about some friends growing up

And all the things they tried

I’m not talking about staple shit

They went for something more

I guess it was too much dreaming

Too much to hope for

One day something funny happened

But it scared the shit out of me

Their heads went in different directions

And their friendship ceased to be

I’m telling you I want it to work

I don’t like being hurt

Something’s not right inside

And I can’t always put it aside

What can we do, what can we do?

TRY