I read the other day that most people have two main characteristics in their make-up. One part of them is serious, sensible and responsible whereas the other is jovial, more laissez-faire and full of fun. The exact percentage between the two characteristics varies from one person to another.
This led me to think, seriously, about fun.
Now, I have not been given to much fun in life. I have always been a serious person. Somewhat lacking in humour. Some would say dour even. Taking my responsibilities seriously.
After all, how can we as a people deal with the world's economic and social and all other problems if we go around having "fun".
If it was up to me, fun would be a sin, a crime, punishable by tickling with a wet celery stick.
And yet, there are many organisations set up for the sole purpose of purveying fun.
Funfairs for instance. The very name betrays its evil intent.
You go there and ride into a little vehicle on rails which takes you up to a great height and then drops you down at the speed of gravity so that your heart misses a beat or two, your stomach ejects its contents through your mouth and your bladder echoes the same sentiments. What great fun a roller coaster is!
Or your ride a ghost train which goes through a dark tunnel for the sole purpose of being frightened to death by unexpected noises and cardboard characters appearing from nowhere.
I am sure you can imagine other means of fun at the funfair. Like getting a sugar rush by eating tons of candy floss, or pop corn or whatever else sugar saturated drinks are on offer.
Of course, funfairs are not the only ones guilty of encouraging people to have fun.
Other means of having fun are dance halls with their loud music where people get together and gyrate aimlessly like drunken giraffes.
Or climbing mountains for no apparent reason apart from the fact they are there.
Or squeezing oneself into narrow humid and dark caves, again for no apparent reason I can think of.
Or swimming with dolphins, or sardines, if you cannot afford dolphins.
Or jumping off a bridge or a canyon whilst tied to a piece of elastic and bouncing up and down like a yo yo.
Or ... I don't know ... I am sure you folks out there can think of other ways of having "fun".
Personally, I like the world to be sober and responsible. Sense and sensibility as Jane Austen said.
If "fun" is considered necessary it should be in the form of reading a book quietly at home or in the library. Something like the Encyclopaedia Britannica should do.
Or playing chess on one's honeymoon. Now that IS fun I tell you!!!
If, like medicine, fun is required for health purposes, it should be administered in small doses at long intervals, say once a year or so.
If it was up to me I would put a tax on fun. Now that's something the politicians have missed out on, haven't they? They should study every activity known to man, or woman, and if there is the slightest modicum of fun involved then they should tax it in order to curtail its use or performance.
If we were meant to have fun then we would all have been born with red noses, or other small peculiarities that makes one laugh at or be amused by.
I'll wait for a moment or two for your minds to wonder and list what small peculiarities tend to amuse you ...
OK ... back to attention now ... let us know what makes you have fun so we can tax it.
