A Thought on Stopping Humor Due to the Death of Someone You Don't Know...

So, interesting story: As I'm pulling into work today, a coworker calls to inform me that he is going to be late because of an accident on the highway. He also tells me that two other coworkers, who happen to travel the same way, will also be in slightly tardy. I tell him that it's no problem, and I go into the office.

Okay, let me go back a little. So there's this guy that I work with...let's call him 'Tristan'. Now 'Tristan' has a reputation of showing up to work right on time. He doesn't show up late, but not really early either. Now I don't really see a problem with this, though some that we work with give him a hard time over it.

So anyway, back to the story. Another coworker and myself are at work...we'll call him 'Tommy', and people start showing up. Now you have to understand, at our job, people give each other a hard time about EVERYTHING. Seriously, there is no limit to what someone will make fun of someone else about. Now 'Tristan' is coming in, and 'Tommy' and I are see him, so we start joking around with him. I say, "Hey Buddy, it's nice of you to show up." And 'Tommy' says, "I thought you were gonna be here right on time today." (both of us were smiling as we say this of course. Well 'Tristan', who normally takes humor directed at him very well, takes umbrage. He says something to the tune of, "Oh that's real funny. Somebody dies in an accident and I've got to hear this shit from you guys." He then proceeds to enter our workplace and tell everyone else how we are stupid.

Hmm, really? Someone dies and all of a sudden you can't take a joke...seriously? Did you know this person? Were you too close? Did you have ice cream together on the weekends? Umm, no you didn't. This is just some random person who you didn't even know existed prior to this event. Let me enlighten you to something you may not be aware: PEOPLE DIE EVERY DAY! Do we change who we are because someone somewhere perished. People in third world countries are being slaughtered by the hundreds daily under the rule of some tyrant. Do we stop joking around or change the way we act because of this? No. We certainly feel for them, but beyond that, we still joke around with one another and poke fun. I'm reminded of a quote from the film Collateral, starring Tom Cruise and Jamie Foxx. Foxx's character, Max, has just discovered that Cruise's character, Vincent, is an assassin for hire, and is noticeably upset after Vincent kills someone. Vincent gives him a hard time about it. The dialogue went as follows:

Vincent: 6 billion people on the planet and you get bent out shape cause of one fat guy?
Max: But who was he?
Vincent: What do you care? Ever hear of Rwanda?
Max: Rwanda? Yeah.
Vincent: Tens of thounsands killed before sundown. Nobody's killed people that fast since Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Did you bat an eye, Max? Did you join Amnesty International, Oxfam or something? No. I off one Angelo and you throw a hissy fit.

And this is how I see our situation here that we have presented before us. Did 'Tristan' stop on the side of the road? Did he look up the deceased's family to contact them to see how they were doing? Did he post a cross on the side of the road or join some 'Adopt a Highway' program? No. He came to work and a couple hours later was joking around with everyone else. But since a joke was directed at him, he felt the need to get all up in arms about the new dead guy. I'll tell ou what, if my wife or childen die, I will be sad. If someone else I know dies, I will say to myself, that sucks. However, if someone I don't know, have never met, and couldn't distinguish from Adam suddenly keels over or gets offed, I will, 99% of the time, not even give it a second thought. I understand that when someone dies, someone else will miss them and most likely be sad...just not me.

So 'Tristan', remove the preverbial stick from your ass, and take a joke. Oh, and by the way, I'd really appreciate it if you don't try and fight me at work. Thanks.