HUMANS AT THEIR BEST...AND WORST...

I have been thinking a bit more about Joe Biden's appearance at the Gridiron Club Spring Dinner on Saturday. Biden's joke-fest (which KILLED as I understand) puts an exclamation point on three things that all sane people know to be true.

1) People are at their best (or at least, perceived to be at their best) when they're willing to laugh at themselves, and admit their failings!

2) People are at their worst (rightly perceived) when they can't honestly laugh at themselves, or admit their failings!

I can't add up all of my gaffes. As I thought through them, I remembered really hurting the feelings of a young man that I care very much about. I made some off-handed comment about another kid in his school..."the only reason that boy stays in school is for the free lunch!" The young man withdrew for a long time, and finally came to me and said, "I've been on free lunch all my life. I hate it. You don't think that's why I stay in school, do you?"

When I was in High School, I actually asked a deaf girl..."are you deaf or something?" I knew that she was, and that she wouldn't hear me. But her Daddy did...and her brother that was a friend of mine did, too. I didn't think for one second that it might be heard by "them."

There are many dozens of other things I've said (and done) that I wish I could take back. But you can't un-ring a bell. Once it passes from your lips...it's out there.

Much has been made of Obama's gaffe, aligning his bowling skills with those of the "Special Olympics" competitors. I have read, and heard great outrage, disappointment, and pious harumphing from everybody that NEVER, NEVER, NEVER, NEVER, NEVER made an off-handed comment about retards. That brings me to my third thing that all sane people know to be true.

C) People are REALLY, REALLY at their best when they are just being their "self."

Too much of human interaction is for show. Too much of it is calculated to gain advantage, preserve the feelings of others, or conform to societal norms.

Of course, BarackO' showed his obvious lack of judgment by ever appearing on a light night entertainment show. It's one thing when you're "running" for President. It's a whole other kettle of fish when you actually "are."

Most of us are really, really human. In our daily comings and goings, our human-ness adjusts to the folks that we are interacting with. If we are dealing with a customer, we naturally pick up on clues from them, and do our best to make the transaction "smooth," by not ruffling feathers. If we are talking to our Momma, we have enough "history" stored in our brain to "don't say the wrong thing you idiot!!!"

And when we are yacking with a really funny guy, our brain tends to pull out our humorous side...and it wants to compete for "equal time" with the really funny guy. I know that I do that. There is something within me that wants to "match wits" with others. I only win that match when I run up against a retard...but that "something" still wants to play the game...even if it knows it's gonna lose.

Biden's speech was funny. It really was. It made him "human" to me (I had always viewed him as less than that). He was willing to poke fun at himself. I was very much disappointed with much that President Bush did while in office. But I love him as a "huMAN" for the fact that he was always able to laugh at himself, and admit in his very "W" way that he didn't know everything...and that his dookie didn't smell good. Some called those things "weaknesses." I found them to be his strong points.

When President Obama made his Special Olympics gaffe, he was proving to "the world" that he is human. Nobody is as perfect as the press, his handlers, and his mindless devotees have painted him.

The real question is, "Will he realize it himself?" I have a suspicion that the reason Obama stayed away from The Gridiron Club dinner is that he is not yet ready to pick on himself over an extended period of time. That is part and parcel of what happens there. I believe that the only reason he got off on the "bowling fiasco" with Leno is because that "let me see if I can be as funny as the guy that gets paid to be funny synapse" kicked in. It will be interesting to me to see what he says at his first "White House Correspondent's Dinner." ...if he shows up.

I hope that he does. I would like to see Obama in a formal setting be able to genuninely pick on himself, address his shortcomings, and his humanity.

Heck, if I was him...at my first White House Correspondent's Dinner, I'd light up a Camel...wait for the pandelerium to subside...then open my remarks with, "There are many people that I rely on as President. Take my wife, and Joe Biden...PLEASE!"