On a recent flight, I (Leslie) had my head buried in a book and was oblivious to my husband’s boredom. He had nothing to read, and in his desperation, he began thumbing through in-flight magazines.
Unbeknownst to me, Les was cutting various pictures out of these magazines with his handy
Swiss Army pocket knife (this was before such a gizmo would be confiscated by airport security).
He found a large photo of a monkey head and placed it in the window next to his seat. He cut out the watch from a photo advertisement for Rolex and taped it to his wrist. And to top off his cutting spree, he found a red ball and taped it to his nose.
Knowing that timing is everything when it comes to humour, Les waited. We sat side by side in our cramped little seats, and he waited. I read. He waited.
Les waited for me to look up from my book so he could see my reaction to a monkey looking in on us at thirty-five thousand feet. He waited for me to ask for the time so he could see me react to his “Rolex.” He waited to see the reaction I’d have to a clown nose taped to the sombre face of my husband.
Les waited so long — he fell asleep. But that didn’t spoil the fun.
When I finally looked up from my book, I saw his handiwork. But I muffled my laughter to let him enjoy his sleep. In fact, I decided to take a catnap too.
Who knows how long we slept, but it was long enough for two flight attendants to don red noses and wake us up to tell us we were landing.
You never know where you can find a good laugh. So look for the funny around you and create it when you have to.
See other stories in this series on laughing your way to a better relationship:
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Story 1: Remember Rule No. 6 for a happier romance
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Story 2: Save the spark (by making fun of each other)
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Story 3: Laugh when you don’t feel like it (for a healthier relationship)
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Story 5: Find the funny bone in your partner – fill your relationship with laughter