Is That Funny?

 by Charlotte Hinger

I couldn't have been more bewildered. I gave a talk about Kansas and a close friend was deeply offended. "You really don't like Kansas much, do you?"

That simply was not true. I have a flaming state loyalty. I was mortified because this woman was very dear to me. What could I have said that offended her? I still don't know. But another writing friend kindly told me that "people don't always 'get' your sense of humor."

It was one of the most helpful comments I've ever received when it comes to giving presentations. Not only do Kansans have an oddball sense of humor, my family has always appreciated the ridiculous antics of God's masterpiece; human beings. We love the bumblers because they are our kind of people. Truth is, my father's side of the family--the Southerlands--simply howl over stories told and retold until I doubt if there's a shred of truth left. 

The Kansas sense of humor is wickedly subtle. We are the state that claims to have the biggest ball of twine. There's an annual Twine-a-Thon Day with a parade and a picnic in Cawker City, the keeper and guardian of this sacred wonder. 

But try working that one into a talk about the state. Really now, how would you like to be president of the Chamber of Commerce tasked with enticing people to move to the town. Or if you are a writer, this is type of thing that doesn't play well in a talk. 

So. I've learned to be more careful. Many a politician has learned it's so very easy to be misunderstood, have remarks taken out of context, or simply walked into an audience with no appreciation for nuance. 

Another problem inherent in presentations is the late arrival of some persons to events. If they haven't heard your introduction, they are like to miss your carefully rehearsed reasons for buying your book. Acoustics can also interfere with sound, or someone having a coughing fit. This results in remarks taken out of context.

Insist on using a microphone if it's a all possible. I wear hearing aids. As an avid listener, I know how much difference a mic helps me hear. I wish I had a nickle for the number of times a speaker begins with one of the world's dumbest questions "can everybody hear?" The ones who can't hear don't hear the question, some who wear hearing aids would rather die than admit it, and others simply pretend they have perfect hearing. 

We are coming out of a period when a great deal of what is said is simply not funny. We are subjected to cruel inaccurate speech full of profanity and vulgarities that revels in clever name-calling. We are expected to tolerate language on TV that we can't bear children to hear. 

Here's a condensed checklist for the content of your book talk 

    (1) Are my points easily understood?

    (2) Can this talk be taken the wrong way?

    (3) Are you trying to impress people with your cleverness?

    (4) Is this talk KIND? If not, throw it in the trash.

Making Do

Last Friday I drove back to Kansas to give a talk at the annual meeting of the Solomon Valley Highway 24 Alliance. It was nothing short of miraculous that the weather was unseasonably pleasant both in Colorado and Kansas.

I don't mind long drives. I listen to audiobooks written by writers I haven't had an opportunity to read. Flying is impossible when I take an assortment of books along. I always drive when I can make my destination in a day.

The growth of the Solomon Valley Alliance was very impressive. Once again I'm stunned by the energy and accomplishments of small rural communities. Budget cuts have about brought Kansas to its knees. Everything is do-it-yourself. We make the most of what we have. We make do.

Much to my delight I was awarded a special merit plaque for writing Nicodemus: Post-Reconstruction Politics and Racial Justice in Western Kansas. Additionally, I received an exquisite miniture copper windmill.

When people ask me where I live, I always say Kansas. My kids look at me funny because I've been in Colorado eight years now. But here's my story and I'm sticking to it: Colorado was once part of Kansas Territory. I don't care what these ignorant people call this state. I would never leave Kansas.

The next day I went to the Kansas Salt Mines. What an amazing trip. And yes, it has everything to do with my next mystery. The mines are 650 feet underground and the humidity and temperature are constant year round. The mines are where the negatives of Ben Hur, Gone With the Wind, The Wizard of Oz and countless other films are kept. There are thousands of government documents stored in the mines.

There's nothing like on-the-spot research. The mines are not at all like I had imagined from on-line reading. There are so many tunnels, the ceilings are lower, and I still can't understand how the shape could be so perfectly rectangular.

The Salt Mines are a natural wonder. But in the make-the-most-of-what-you-have category, a wonderful lady who helped me with my book signing introduced herself as "the ball of twine in Cawker City."

Oh, you've never heard of this? Kansas has the world's largest ball of twine. People come from all over the world to see it. She said recently there was even a vistor from Mongolia.

But you would have to live there to understand this brand of humor. And who would have thought the ball of twine would become a leading tourist attraction.