The Comedy of Survival

 Comedy is not a philosophy of despair or pessimism, but one which permits people to respond with health and clear vision despite the miseries the world has to offer. Its mode is immediacy of attention, adaptation to rapidly changing circumstances, joy in small things, the avoidance of pain wherever possible, the love of life and kinship with all its parts, the sharpening of intelligence, complexity of thought and action, and strategic responsiveness to novel situations. It permits people to accept themselves and the world as they are, and it helps us make the best of the messes around us and within us. 

                                                                                                                                             Joseph Meeker, The Comedy of Survival

This quote caught my attention because having a sense of humor these days seems suspicious.  However, in my opinion at eighty, it is a matter of survival.