I came out of the womb telling a knock-knock joke.

I had Psychology today. We were talking about the psychology of superheroes (WHICH IS MY SHIT LEMME TELL YOU), and our teacher had us stare at ourselves in Photobooth for a minute while thinking of our 3 best characteristics.

Humor was at the top of both the list I wrote, and the list of a survey I took which is neat and it's right here. That reminded me of a quote and a belief I've always held firmly to.

"Heard joke once. man goes to doctor. Says he's depressed. Says life seems harsh and cruel. Says he feels all alone in a threatening world where what lies ahead is vague and uncertain. Doctor says, 'Treatment is simple, great clown Pagliacci is in town. Go see him, that should lift you up.' Man bursts into tears. Says, 'But Doctor, I am Pagliacci."

Funny people are the saddest you'll ever meet.

I'ma tell a little story. I was never the most popular kid, growing up. I've been called every name in the book so many times that now, words bounce off me as if I was a Verbal Superman. Fuck Superman. 

But little seven-year-old Byron wasn't so tough. Every word stung, every noun, verb, and adjective stabbing like a knife coated in prepositions, right in my self-esteem, making me hate everyone as much as myself.

One day, I cracked a joke. I don't even remember if it was intentional. But people laughed. Almost as if they liked me. Words still hurt then, yeah, but now I could hide it and pretend it never bothered me in the first place.

"Hey, you hear the one about the comedian who croaked? / Someone stabbed him in the heart, just a little poke. / But he keeled over because he went into battle wearing chainmail made of jokes." - George Watsky