Irony and Me . . . October 29, 2010
Posted by nrhatch in Humor, Mindfulness, Word Play.comments closed
As Jodi noted recently in Isn’t It Ironic?, speakers and writers may use verbal irony to express the opposite of what they really mean.
Once, when expected support failed to materialize, I sent an e-mail along the following lines to a relatively large group:
How can I thank you all? Truth is, I can’t. Your support this week has truly humbled me.
Those recipients who provided the requested support received a heart-felt compliment.
The rest of the lot received a veiled insult disguised as a compliment.
What? I told you all I’m still a work in progress. 😉
Most often, irony in my life appears as an incongruity between the actual result of a sequence of events and the expected result.
Want some toast with that jam?
* If I leave early, traffic is light, one green light after another in sight.
If I’m running late . . . would you like some toast with that jam?
* When I’m wearing a panti-liner “just in case,” nothing happens. Things remain dry no matter how hard I sneeze or laugh.
In contrast, if I sneeze or laugh without a panti-liner . . . waterworks.
* If I’m multi-tasking while watching TV, the commercials never last long enough to finish what I’ve started.
If I’m watching TV with “nowhere to go and nothing to do” during the commercials . . .
They . . . Are . . . Interminable!
* If we go sightseeing and pack a lunch, we see one eatery after another offering yummy vegetarian options. If we don’t bring snacks to nibble on, all we see are burger joints and steakhouses.
* When I’m all caught up in my office, and bedtime rolls around, I’m not tired. When I have a mile-long “To Do” list, I can’t stop yawning.
How about you?
What wrinkles does irony throw into the laundry basket of your life?
Spirit Lights The Way 