I remember hearing the phrase "you are what you were at 8!" Well, if that's true I know how it all happened …

In 1960. I was 8 years old and in grade 3 at Holy Rosary School. One day in class, we were reading from our Social Studies book about the Indians. A classmate was reading aloud and mispronounced the word teepee, making it sound like 'Tippy'. I heard this and immediately thought "my Auntie Mary has a dog named Tippy ... this is funny!" So, I laughed out loud. I knew immediately that no one else was laughing, so to muffle my sounds I raised the lid of my desk and continued to laugh inside the desk ... only to have it serve as an echo chamber. Then I heard the dreaded sounds ... The swishing of the long black heavy cotton habit mixed with the rattling of the hanging rosary beads. Those sounds alerted 'trouble'. Next thing I knew. I was being dragged to the front of the class where Sister Mary Eva proceeded to give me the strap. To save face I remember looking out at my classmates as I experienced the pain & then back again at Sister. My only words ... "Thank you Sister, I really enjoyed that!"

So, I guess that's when it all began ... Me seeing humour in the simple things … The simple things that are so often either overlooked or go unseen by others. Since then I have learned that even though "humour may be in the eye of the beholder", which means we may often have to laugh alone & suffer the consequences - I will continue to look for, uncover & share the humour that is everywhere!

C.B. at 8, 1960