Why Monkeys Laugh

(September 29, 2000)

When the topic is "what time is the meeting?" there's nothing like the phrase "8 to 5" to make even the most boorish corporate dynamo curdle at least a little bit. Me, you might as well roll me in corn syrup and let loose a swarm of flies. Since gasping "Eight AM?! In the actual MORNING?!" isn't exactly the answer your boss is looking for, you suck it up, set three alarms, get your sorry ass up and go run the meeting.

Somewhere near the end of yesterday's dreaded 8-to-5er, something struck me hilarious and I nearly lost it. I'm surprised I didn't draw blood biting my bottom lip, but I knew full well that it was a very serious matter that I keep my composure-- because if I let go, composure was a dead-certain non-recoverable issue. I have been known to laugh uncontrollably for over twenty minutes, at the end of which I'm teary, red-faced, exhausted, and sporting a really good case of abdominal muscle pains.

I was standing at the front of the room with white board marker in hand, arms folded listening to the discussion about spares inventory. I'm tired. We're all tired. I notice that one of the Product Line Managers (PLMs) isn't even listening anymore. John, an older, well-dressed and articulate businessman with a rather subdued, solemn personality, has leaned over in his chair to root around in a black leather briefcase, which was on the floor to the left of his chair. He sits up looking perplexed. No one notices. Then he glances down at something to the right of his chair. He looks relieved�

"Oh. That's not my briefcase, that's why," he says in his even, modulated tone. "I was wondering where that banana came from."

When I told T Max about this last night, he found it as funny as I did. So it's not just me this time.

I guess bananas are funny. That's all there is to it. If John had said, "I was wondering where that notebook came from," I would have thought nothing of it.

Bananas. Funny, funny bananas.