Priceless Humor

Stories have been told and retold for centuries throughout the world. Why? For one thing, they are entertaining. Another reason is that they deal with the human condition, one way or another. Even stories using animals as characters reflect the situations and actions of our species.

For centuries as well, life has been a struggle. Wars. Famine. Thorny relationships. All of which beg for some direction, some assistance. A resolution of some sort.

At the same time, nobody likes to be preached to. We desire to sweeten our bitter medicines. Enter laughter. Humor makes a hard message a bit easier to swallow. Witty humor is priceless humor. An awesome blend of entertainment and enlightenment.

As you know, laughter lightens the heart. Laughter enlivens the spirit. And as long as we are laughing at the foibles of others (and not ourselves) we find those situations funny. This is priceless humor.

Look at the great humorists around us. Art Buchwald. George Carlin. Garrison Kiellor. Check out the humorists of history. Mark Twain Henry Fielding All of them were storytellers. Painting scenes with priceless humor.

What makes priceless humor? The answer is simple. Priceless humor revolves about common everyday experiences. The missed appointment. The comic situation. The consequences that follow are generally laughable.

You will find lots of priceless humor in urban folktales. Listeners can readily find many humorous circumstances in my CD Parking in Manhattan. These hilarious comedies involve characters everybody can relate to and empathasize with. Priceless situations create priceless humor.

You can also find many examples of priceless humor in world stories. These stories always bring gales of laughter when they are told. Check out "Rock Soup" or "Herschel in the Woods" from my CD Fables in Four Minutes. Listen to "The Egg Seller" or "Hickory Dock" from World Full of Stories. These are just a few examples of priceless humor. You will find yourself remembering these stories for a very long time. You can find priceless humor and more at www.jaystetzer.com.

When I am out and about, I tune into conversations around me. They are filled with catastrophes and disasters. The conversants generally cannot see the life lesson they offer. It is my job as a storyteller to sort out the meaning from all the information I hear. Also, I need to inject a bit of humor to make the tale palatable. Making the story priceless with priceless humor!

Virtually every storytelling genre contains examples of priceless humor. Why? Simple answer number two. Laughter makes learning easier. A story with priceless humor often comes with a lesson attached. It just goes to show what a treasure priceless humor can be.