OK, so it’s not a writing themed blog in the strict sense of the word, but I’ve just reached a major transitional stage in my life – my eldest is leaving home! I will miss him so much and worry about him every day so I thought it only appropriate to cheer myself up by taking a humorous look at the positive side of sending my son off to uni. Parents, I bet you can identify with some of these.
N.B. I had originally scheduled this blog for around this time having already written it a while back. However, due to recent events in the Mannion family household I did have doubts about publishing a humorous article during a period of sadness. After many deliberations I have decided to go ahead. One thing that my children’s grandparents have bequeathed them is a cracking sense of humour, and they wouldn’t expect us to stop having a laugh because they are no longer with us. So, here it is – a humorous look at what I won’t miss when my son goes off to university:
- He has a giant amplifier and a set of drums – need I say more?
- My Muller Light toffee yoghurts are finally mine.
- I don’t take my life into my own hands every time I enter his room, which resembles an obstacle course for military training.
- The bathroom will now be vacant for most of the morning.
- I can open the kitchen cupboards and find clean glasses and, as an added bonus, clean cups as well.
- I don’t have to watch him polishing off a 12 inch pizza followed by a tub of Ben and Jerry’s, a packet of crisps and two cans of beer; yet still remain skinny. Meanwhile I have to diet continually just to stay ‘well proportioned’.
- I get to spend more time with my husband while his taxi service is suspended.
- There’ll be no more having to emerge dripping from the shower in search of my shampoo and conditioner, when I suddenly discover that he’s nicked them YET AGAIN!
- I don’t have to give any more post-hangover (his hangover, not mine) tips on the best methods of removing vomit from jeans to ensure that you don’t clog up the washing machine.
- I won’t have to listen to the migraine-inducing, ear-piercing, repetitive bleep of the freezer door every time he fails to shut it properly.
- I won’t have to put my hand into a sink full of gunge because he’s (a) pushed the plug in again and (b) chucked his leftover baked beans, hot chocolate and ice-cream into the sink resulting in a revolting and potentially lethal mash-up!
- I won’t be bothered by his refusal to wear slippers, despite 18 years of nagging, resulting in a rapid turnover of socks and a malodorous whiff when he enters the room.
I must emphasise here that despite his foibles I love him to bits and wouldn’t trade him for the world. I’m also extremely proud of him; he’s a loving son, a great character and he’s worked really hard to gain a place studying medicine at a top university.
To get back to the writing theme, I find that humorous writing is one of the most difficult genres to write for. I was tasked recently with writing some web copy for a consumer finance company. The snag was that I had to make it slightly humorous – a bit of a challenge to say the least! After all, what’s funny about wills, pensions and life insurance? Thankfully I managed to achieve it by turning things on their head slightly, but it wasn’t easy.
I think that most of us see the humorous side of life and having a laugh comes naturally. Quite often wit happens spontaneously but to have to produce humorous writing to order is very demanding. That’s why I take my hat off to the guys that manage to achieve it continuously.
I would love to hear your thoughts about the writing genres that you think are most challenging to write for and why.