Dear Folly,
I’m at my wit’s end with my husband and his bad jokes. We’ve been married for 25 years now, and I thought his joke-telling skills would improve over time. But unfortunately, his jokes have remained as bad as they were when we first got married.
At first, I thought his jokes were just “dad jokes” – you know, the kind of jokes that are so bad they’re almost funny. But now, even our kids have grown up and moved out of the house, and he still tells the same terrible jokes. I’m starting to think that maybe he’s just not very funny.
I don’t want to hurt his feelings, but I also don’t know how much more of this I can take. Every time he tells a joke, I cringe and try to force a laugh, but it’s getting harder and harder to fake it.
What should I do, Folly? Should I just grin and bear it, or is there a way to get my husband to improve his joke-telling skills?
Sincerely,
Desperate for Laughter
Dear Desperate for Laughter,
I’m so sorry to hear about your husband’s joke-telling deficiencies. It sounds like a real problem.
But here’s the thing – after 25 years of marriage, you should know that there are some things that just can’t be changed. Your husband’s ability to tell a good joke might be one of those things. And honestly, is it really that big of a deal? Sure, his jokes might not be side-splittingly hilarious, but they’re not hurting anyone.
In fact, you might even consider yourself lucky. Think about it – at least your husband isn’t one of those people who tells inappropriate jokes or makes insensitive remarks. You could have it a lot worse!
So my advice to you is this: embrace your husband’s bad jokes. Laugh at them (even if it’s a fake laugh) and appreciate the fact that he’s trying to bring a little humor into your life. And who knows – maybe one day he’ll surprise you with a joke that actually makes you chuckle.
In the grand scheme of things, there are much worse things in life than a husband with bad jokes. Count your blessings, my friend.
Yours in laughter (even if it’s forced),
Folly
