Hilarious Fun With A Sledgehammer

The TV show that consistently reduces my daughter, Rachel, to endless peals of laughter is America’s Funniest Home Videos.  Have you seen it?  This is the show that features homemade videos from regular, ordinary—albeit “whacky”—people that involve someone slipping or falling or getting kicked by a horse.  And, of course, sometime in the course of the show, there is usually a video of a person getting hit in the groin with a rake.  (At least one of those shots is needed for a well-rounded episode of AFHV.)

Rachel watches this show frequently and truly enjoys it immensely.  It is, probably, her favorite TV show.

So, what I’m writing, here, shouldn’t be too surprising…

Two or three inches of solid ice had formed on the step leading from our house into the back yard.  In order to remedy this dangerous situation, I grabbed a sledgehammer from our garage and began to carry it to the back yard.  On the way, I slipped and the sledgehammer fell right onto my foot.  I was literally jumping around, holding my foot and howling in pain.

You know what’s coming, right?

Yep!  Rachel saw the sledgehammer fall onto my foot, she saw me screaming and jumping, and I thought she might actually pass out from laughing so hard.

I was really in pain.  No, really!  I was!  My foot genuinely hurt.  And, yet, this little episode was a source of pure hilarity for Rachel.

When I told Nadia about the incident, later, she laughed uproariously, as well.  In fact, within a few minutes, I had the distinct impression that she wanted me to tell her about it again.  You know, just for the fun of it.  I didn’t.

Why is MY PAIN such a source of great joy and amusement for so many people?

A moment ago, the phone rang and it was my neighbor calling to say that he heard about the sledgehammer incident at a neighborhood meeting and he was thanking me for bringing some much-needed laughter and sunshine to the entire southern region of Oak Lawn on these cold winter days.

What?!?  When did he…?  How did he…?

That call surprised me, of course, but in a way it was no big deal.  What really shocked me was the call from Mayor Daley expressing his appreciation, on behalf of the city of Chicago, for providing a wonderful dose of humor to the millions of people who find my pain to be a source of endless amusement.

Why, I ask you?  Why?!? 

…[Sigh]  Well, I’m just glad I can be of assistance…I guess.

Alright then, I’m going to go put a rake out in my backyard.