"What's your sign?" "Cancer, of course." (Conversation between two teenaged cancer patients)

"See what happens when you don't eat your veggies!" (Teen-aged cancer patient who noticed two preschoolers staring at her wig {the startled children ran off})

[All of the above examples are from Erma Bombeck's book, I Want to Grow Up, I Want to Grow Hair, I Want to Go to Boise.]

I you've spend much time around kids with cancer, you've probably noticed that they're generally more comfortable than adults with joking about their cancer. They still have that basic playful attitude that is the foundation for your sense of humor which we talked about in the October and November, 1998 columns of Humor Your Tumor. If you've been making the effort during the past 4-5 months to get back in touch with the child within you who wants to come back out and play, you've probably already noticed that it's easier than it used to be to relate jokes and stories to others.

If you've never tried to tell jokes and stories in the past, start with one joke or story--and be sure you think it's funny! Write the joke down to be sure you've got it right, and make a conscious effort to memorize it. How many times have you heard people tell a joke, and then stumble when they get to the punchline, because they've forgotten it? This is the most common mistake made by novice joke-tellers. One way or another, they find a way to butcher the punchline!

Once you've got the joke into memory, begin by telling it to a couple of close friends or family members--anyone you trust and feel comfortable with. This will reduce the embarrassment you feel if you do botch it up, and give you the opportunity to build up some joke-telling skills in a forgiving environment. Once you've told the joke several times, and get the delivery of the punchline down, then try telling it to anyone you come in contact with. Tell the same joke over and over, and note how much better you get with each telling. Once you've gotten to the point that you can tell it smoothly and effortlessly, you're ready to take on a second joke.

Don't try to learn too many jokes at once. Choose one, write it down and practice telling it before moving on to another. Once you've told the joke a few times, it will always be available in your memory. You'll be amazed at how quickly your joke repertoire builds. Don't be afraid to ask people, "Have you heard any good jokes lately?" In social situations, this will generally start a round of joke-telling, and you'll have several new jokes to choose from to learn as your "joke of the day."

When you hear a joke you want to learn, seize upon the moment to try to repeat it. Say to the person who told it, "Wait, let me see if I've got it. There's a Baptist, a Catholic, and Hindu walking down the street . . ." This gives the original teller the opportunity to correct you and say something like, "No, no, it's a preacher, a priest and a rabbi . . ." Trying to tell the joke right after you hear it is the best way to start getting it into memory, and the immediate feedback you get helps you be sure you're got the joke, and especially the punchline, right. Then, at your first opportunity, write down the joke--or at least the punchline--on any piece of paper you can get your hands on. You can later practice the joke as described above.

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