Can anyone point me to a really sincere pumpkin patch where, like Linus, I can await the rising of the Great Pumpkin at midnight? Charles Schulz and his “Peanuts” became an instant favorite of mine, as did Walt Kelly from the first appearance of “Pogo” and I have cited them many times over the year’s right along with men like Emerson and Thoreau for their wisdom. It isn’t that Emerson and Thoreau were lacking in humor, but Kelly and Schulz made it an art form that appealed to both children and adults. Neither was ever malicious in their use of humor, but made us laugh at the many parallels we would find by both of them poking fun at religiosity and the chicanery of politicians.

Humor, I believe, is a gift of God. It is for this reason I believe God has a sense of humor despite it not exactly being a strong suit in the Bible, and neither Jews nor Christians seem willing to give God credit for a sense of humor. Will Rogers was one of America’s greatest humorists, but it is Sam Clemens the world considers the greatest humorist our nation ever produced. However, Sam had a penchant for the mean streak in some of his humor and had become quite egotistical, this leading to his belittling and poking fun at some of the greatest thinkers and writers of the time. That he was actually jealous and envious of their reputation and public status was transparent and he was properly chastised for this. But his ego has never prevented my reading and enjoying the many good books by Clemens nor does his ego get in the way of my appreciating Thoreau and his writings. I have always appreciated and entered into Sam’s sorrows for the many grievous things he suffered to the point of once contemplating suicide and saying he considered death to be the only pure, unalloyed gift of God.

Clemens would be the first to point out that the best of humor always has a moral basis; and it is that morality of the humorist I look to when contemplating any work of humor. Clemens was a moral man, as were Schulz and Kelly. But not everyone would agree with my interpretation of their morality. While few would disagree about the morality of Schulz, that of Clemens and Kelly might be called into question; but not by my standard of morality. For this reason I can believe God was pleased and amused by Schulz’s Great Pumpkin, a poking of fun at those that suffer under the tyranny of their religious beliefs. But I also believe God enjoyed much of the humor of both Clemens and Kelly as well.

It is difficult to find a whole lot of good humor or things to laugh about these days. My own best source of humor remains me because of so many dumb things I have done. It really is true for the most part that looking back at these brings on the laughter though it wasn’t funny at the time. My maternal grandfather, grandad, was a great humorist and had a great sense of humor which I believe I inherited from him. But he was as ready with his fists as he was with a funny story; and living in Southeast Bakersfield (Little Oklahoma) required him to use both and he was just as quick to laugh at himself as I am.

And there it is; if you can’t laugh at yourself you are taking yourself too seriously. Since I have always been quick to laugh at myself, I don’t worry about taking myself too seriously; but some of the subjects I write about are quite serious, even somber and do not admit of humor. As a child advocate and writing of so many abuses of women and children does not admit of much in the way of humor. I would laugh at the antics of politicians like “Hussein” if it were not for the fact that they seem intent on enslaving all of us for their own gain.

But to write of politicians and their chicanery is no fun at all. It is coming up on Halloween and I really enjoy this holiday; right now the sun is streaming through the windows here where I write, the cat is snug in my lap purring away so no matter what your beliefs I still say: Happy Halloween!