In response to The Daily Post’s writing prompt: “Too Soon?.”        

There can be humor in a lot of things but there is a fine line. First if someone asks for the humor to stop then that wish should be respected. It’s like when you and a friend are ranking on each other. Then you find that you are being out ranked by your friend. You concede; but he carries on and on. Then you have those who turn another’s failure, mistake or short comings into a running joke. They never let you forget, or even learn from the experience. On top of that they are not any better than you are at doing the task. Oh yeah, and then there are those that laugh at your plans or even your dreams. What do you do when you find yourself around these types of people? Well, back in the days of yesterday. I would have smacked them in their face. I can attest that I have fought a lot of these so called friends. Two things usually happened. Some came to the realization that I will engage in humor to a point, and that some things are off limits when it comes to humor. Or some will continue the same thing over again. The latter are friends that I cut off all contact with. But, of course in my adult years I don’t smack people in their face when they do things I don’t like. I just cut off contact and burn whatever bridges I have with them. Don’t need toxic people in my life (https://truegeorge.com/2015/09/26/toxic-to-the-core/).

Crossing the line comes with a price when humor is done at the expense of others. You don’t have their permission to make things that they care about humorous. Hench, never make fun of someone’s choice of religion, who they worship whether it is a deity, prophet or the Pope. You may not be prepared for the back lash, or pay the price of crossing the line.