My lack of bladder control is historic. My tortured family could hardly settle into their morning bathroom routine without a frantic knock on the door from little Emmy, demanding use of the stool. They generally respected my panic, however, and yielded the right of way. Too often, they had witnessed or cleaned up the aftermath.
As I got older, I learned all sorts of tricks to counter my weakness, but there is still one situation in which nothing but Depends can help me. If I crack a joke that causes people around me to laugh, the combination of surprise, joy, and laughter overwhelms my bladder control. It really makes me a supreme dork. You're supposed to play it cool when people laugh at your jokes, like "yeah, I knew you'd find that funny." Instead I'm the biggest idiot in the room, because the joke is on me. "What? You found that funny? Now I feel so silly, I think I'll pee my pants." If laughing at my own joke doesn't make me look stupid, the damp spot on my backside will!
Some of my great moments include: a successful skit in German class, after which I had to hide my butt with my Espirit bag to get to the bus without humiliation; every single time I've participated in a "little people" skit at camp; donning left-over hospital diapers before a get-together with friends who make me laugh; and the list goes on. My longtime friends and family can probably add plenty of additional examples.
People wonder when I preach why I don't tell more jokes...well, now you know. I love to laugh. Taking myself or life too seriously is against my nature. I just have to believe that God has a sense of humor, too, because having to moonwalk out of the room after I crack a good joke is how, by God's wisdom, I'm designed.
..."God has brought me laughter, and everyone who hears about this will laugh with me." Genesis 21:6
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