Wednesday, August 08, 2012

Goofy Is as Goofy Does. Yes, Indeed.

The scene:  The front of our house.  It is Monday of this week.  Our heroes pull up in their car.

Keith:  I thought I put the garbage can out when I left this morning.

Eddie:  You did and I took it in when I got home.  You know, like I always do after they come through.

Keith:  Garbage pick-up is tomorrow, dear.

Eddie sighs and hold out his hand.  Keith acts as if he places something in it.

You've just witnessed the latest passing of the Goofy Award.

In our household, we pass the Goofy Award back and forth between each other to mark those occasions when one or the other of us is, well, goofy.  I mean really goofy, not just the day-to-day kind of silly that results from living in the modern world.  You know, doing inexplicable things for oddball reasons.  That kind of thing.  Stuff that falls somewhere in between losing your keys and "This is going to go in my notebook of evidence for the mental competency hearing."  That kind of goofy.

We've all been there.  We've all done it.  Maybe it's stress.  Maybe it's age.  Maybe it's a natural state of being.  Or, as in our case, a little bit of all three, I think.  It's kind of our way of making fun of ourselves a little bit and thumbing our nose at the things that make us goofy.  In a way, it's kind of like celebrating being goofy.  Is there a better way to deal with aging's effects on memory than mocking it when it pops up in your life?  Honestly, it;'s going to happen.  Might as well have fun with it.  (Just remember to draw the line when someone ventures outside without any pants on.)

It's also, in an odd way, a sign of our commitment to each other.  We all need a little boost now and then.  A partner's goofiness can actually be something that frustrates you, if you let it.  This is our way of keeping those frustrations from turning into arguments.  The Goofy Award says "I love you despite your goofy behavior.  Or maybe because of it."  It's not insulting, but endearing.  It's a reminder that after twenty-plus years, I am so not going to let a little thing like forgetting to put the milk back in the fridge get to us.  Long haul, baby.  Sickness and health.  Poverty and wealth.  Normal and goofy.  I think that works.  

There is no actual, physical Goofy Award as such.  It's just an imaginary trophy we pass back and forth.  I think it would take away from the fun if we actually had something tangible to pass back and forth.  Besides, as goofy as we are, one of us would probably lose it. This way, not only can one person win multiple Goofies for successive events, but it can be awarded anywhere.  The only criteria is that serious acts of goofiness be involved.

So, who else has a Goofy Award?  What goofy things happen in your household?

3 comments:

Lorraine said...

Just yesterday, my husband emailed me from work suggesting that we should meet at Lowe's to pick up some supplies for a home project we're working on. We have 2 Lowe's locations (let's call them A and B). I emailed back, "Just checking. Are we meeting at the A location?" He emailed back "Yes." I go to location A. No hubby. Waited an hour in case he was held up at work or stuck in traffic. Went home. There was hubby. He went to location B and realized he made a mistake so he went home hoping that I had done the same. PS: Maybe we should get cell phones, eh?

Roger Owen Green said...

my wife is goofy all the time. she'll ask me about things she just asked me about. I think she's trying to gaslight me.

oliveoyl64 said...

I like the goofy award. Better than smacking em upside the head :/