life lessons from the hot water tank

why are things like this so funny to me?

did you know that if you set an open can of gasoline (or other flammable vapors) near your hot water tank, the pilot light could ignite the fumes and start a fire. apparently that's what happened to this guy. apparently we live in constant danger of combustion within our own homes. anyway, i love these kinds of pictures, so dramatic.

the other day at work, i was co-leading a group of/for people who have been diagnosed with severe mental illnesses and have substance abuse problems. sometimes we begin group by going around and telling something about the previous week, good things, bad things, etc. i got the bright idea this time to have everyone tell about the funniest thing that either happened to them, or they saw happen over the last week. as each person went around the table unfolding their various stories, each one was more tragic than the first. dark humor is common with this group, but there weren't even any punchlines. these stories included a dead puppy, an arrest for sexual battery, a victim of sexual abuse caretaking for her former abuser, and a domestic dispute. my story about sneaking up and scaring a fellow intern talking on her cell phone in her car was the one that seemed out of place. bizarre.

as the other group facilitator and i discussed after group, we agreed that this would need to be addressed during next week's group. it was amazing to see how this group seemed to have such backward notions about what is considered funny in social settings. mental illness and substance abuse take a great deal away from people, and this is a very blatant example of why it is so difficult for those in recovery to re-enter the population at large. humor is an important coping mechanism, and a common ground for people to interact in. dead puppy stories tend to scare folks away when they are expecting a good laugh.

there is a fine line sometimes between comedy and tragedy, but it is important be able to distinguish the two. perhaps this all will lead to fruitful discussion next week. perhaps not. perhaps i need to turn the spotlight upon myself and stop laughing at cartoon guys on fire. perhaps not.