Faith in Literature and Art l Ruminate Magazine

Funny stories absolutely slay me (This is to be said dramatically, with an emphasis on every single syllable.)  For years now I have loved reading just about anything comically entertaining. In high school, my family discovered the Junie B. Jones children's books. These books WILL make your face red, your abs hurt and, in my opinion, they are most beneficial for adults who need to understand children again. In college, I fell for David Sedaris whose writing is offensive, politically incorrect, and full of social blunders. His hilarious stories have made me laugh loudly in unbefitting places, and I have even insisted upon having my poor family sit around during holidays to read his stories aloud.  For times when I need someone to nudge truth in my general direction, I love Anne Lamott. Her exaggerated life stories about her faith undo me sometimes and I must mention that her writing style is one of my favorites. Any woman who fondly nicknames her cellulite covered legs, "my aunties," has my invitation to come to dinner at my house. I have also greatly enjoyed finding the humor in the writings of some more surprising people—Flannery O'Connor, Herman Melville, and even Edgar Allen Poe.

*Editor's Note: Consider submitting to Issue 14 on the theme of "Jest," i.e. the funny stories that slay you. 

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Cathryn flowers Ritchie   |2009-07-23 11:05:24 I so enjoyed Whitney Hale's article on humor. There is truly very little moments in life that bring me more joy than a heart-felt-belly-rolling laughter. My husband and I have been married 28 years. One of our favorite laughters we ever had was about 23 years ago in the sea-side town of Corona Del Mar at Gina's Pizzaria on Coast Highway. The very sad aspect to this story is that WE CAN"T remember what we were laughing about! Here is a short, short article about one of those very funny incidents that we will never forget. If this is the type of article you are looking for in your future issue, let me know and I will submit it officially. His Most Embarrasing by Cathryn flowers Ritchie During my first months of marriage I delighted in sharing all of my events I had done as a single person with my husband; from being together grocery shopping to biking at the beach, to reading side by side or cooking our favorite foods together. Maybe the is a silly gal thing, I don't know, you'll have to let me know. But that first trip to the mall was unforgettable, regrettably so for my husband. We were at a beautiful southern California mall, South Coast Plaza, about two months into our marriage. I decided to introduce Steve to the lovely Crabtree and Evelyn store. He'd never had an occasion to frequent this store (and probably never will again!), so it was a unique experience. After browsing a bit Steve asked about the strawberry potpourri, "What's this for?" "You put it in your lingerie drawer and everything develops a wonderful smell." Been there, done that, I decided to stroll on down the mall, thinking he saw me and was near me. Well, he didn't know I was gone when a brunette came near his side. Thinking it was me, he whispered out the side of his mouth, "I imagine your underwear smells like strawberries?" You need to understand that my husband is a very conservative, private gentleman and would never consider crudity or doing anything that embarrassed himself or another, especially a woman and a stranger. Well, no, we don't know what her reaction was. Steve merely noticed that there was a very strong silence, no response from his 'wife'. Realizing that his 'wife' would never respond this way, he quickly shot out of the store and found me. He told me his tale which I thought was a lot funnier than he did. He was so embarrassed that it took him years until he'd let me share his 'most embarrasing moment' with others. He usually thought before he spoke, but now, more than ever he is careful where and when he speaks sweet nothings to me. Reply

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