I do not write comedy. I don’t ever sit down to write a funny story or a stand up comedy routine. However, I am funny. I did improv in college, and I have been known to make funny comments in conversation. Yet, I cannot write comedy. I have found that, when I try to be funny, the humor is ruined. I am more funny when I let myself be in the moment, when I’m not trying to think of something clever to say.

Today’s blog post examines what we ADHDers can learn from one of my favorite TV shows of all time, Everybody Loves Raymond. This show has a special place in my heart because it is hysterical and has gotten me through some rough times in my life. TV Land first started airing episodes of Everybody Loves Raymond around the same time my first girlfriend broke up with me. Every night, they showed 2-3 hours of Everybody Loves Raymond, and that is how I stayed sane during that heartbreak. Since then, I have turned to this show when I have needed a laugh to get me through a rough stretch. Recently, this fantastic sitcom came up in a conversation with my coach, and he noted that this show might make a good subject for a blog post.

One day, during my Freshman year of high school, one of my teachers pointed out in front of the class that I had a weird sense of humor. “Yeah, but I’m not the only one,” I responded.

He doubled down. “Yeah, but yours is way out there.” At that moment, the conversation went from playful to isolating. I acknowledged that I had a bizarre sense of humor, but he went further and made me feel different. And, this teacher was a family friend! My sense of humor started to become a source of shame. I tried to hide the more bizarre side of my sense of humor, only sharing the humorous side that I knew others would appreciate.

November 25, 2018 marks 12 years since my friend Ian died. Ian and I sat next to each other in band class 7th and the first part of 8th grade. Ian played the trombone, and I pretended to play the trombone. Ian loved music and was probably too talented to play in the junior high band. I hated band and did not want to be there. Because Ian did not need to try very hard and I did not want to try, we often goofed around. Our favorite way to amuse ourselves was to quote Monty Python, and yes, we used British accents while doing so