'Boo who?': Simple joke can be potent weapon

I like to think of myself as a comedian, but the truth is I only have one joke in my repertoire. However, that one joke is a powerful weapon that can reduce one person I know to tears.
“Knock knock.”
“Who’s there?”
“Boo.”
“Boo who?”
“Why are you crying?”
I know. It’s about as simple as they come, and even little kids know that one. And honestly, the only reason I remember it is because I taught it to my 4-year-old son, Braden, as a joke he can say to amuse people. And coming from the mouths of a youngster and his goofball father makes it dangerous.
That’s because he often screws it up.
“Knock knock.”
“Who’s there?”
“Boo who?” he says, going directly to the next line of the person he is telling it to.
This mix-up on his part gives the intended subject a chance to improvise. “Boo who who?”
Braden, realizing the joke is different now, starts laughing and doesn’t say his next line. His laughter is infectious, though, and results in both parties going into hysterics.
Once in awhile, I start the joke, and he still goofs it up in a funnier way.
“Knock knock.”
“Who’s there?”
“Boo.”
“Why you crying?” he asks, stealing what is supposed to be my next line.
“I’m not. I’m a ghost.”
It’s silly, and not even that funny nor witty of a response, but he loves it. “You should be crying,” he’ll say when he’s done laughing.
“Braden,” I’ll tell him. “I didn’t say boo who, because you skipped my line, so I’m not crying.”
“Oh. Say it,” he’ll demand.
So I do, and he finishes the joke properly, laughing the entire time.
We’ll often repeat the joke several times, each of us exchanging leads and more often than not getting it wrong in hilariously different ways. As someone who can get quickly tired of repeated questions he often asks me – “Is the cemetery where people died?” he’ll ask anytime we drive past one – this joke amuses me every time, even when repeated four or five times.
Maybe that’s because my main mission in life is to make people laugh – yes, I was the class clown – because whether or not someone is laughing at or with you, it means that person probably enjoys your company. And for people like me, who can’t stand it when someone doesn’t like me, that feeling is addictive.
Fortunately, my addiction serves me well, unlike most addictions. It’s the reason I write this column, it’s the reason I don’t have any enemies (or at least I don’t think I have any) and it’s the reason I’m happily married.
My wife could probably find plenty of reasons to be upset with me on any given day, but those stupid things I say and do often disappear the several times an hour I make her laugh.
If I were a marriage counselor, I would tell couples to enroll in a comedy class, which would probably be much cheaper than my service. Learn how to make each other laugh, even if you only have one joke in your arsenal.
After all, that’s all you really need, especially if it’s a good one.