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Dense like a Black Hole, or Head of Lead
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You know, I have always considered myself to be a reasonably intelligent guy. Not brilliant, but at least as bright as the average person. That's why I am increasingly horrified at how utterly dense I can be at times.
The primary example of this is this odd disability I seem to have about getting jokes. A prime example: about three years ago, I was sitting on the couch when I suddenly, out of nowhere, got the joke about what the brainsucker is doing on your head. You (and I) heard it in elementary school, or maybe kindergarten. Someone comes up and puts his/her hand on your head...
Other kid: "Know what this is?"
Me: "What?"
Other kid: "It's a brain-sucker. Know what it's doing?"
Me: "What?"
Other kid: "Starving! BWAHAHAHAHA!"
Pretty dumb, huh? But how dumb am I, that it took me TWENTY-FIVE YEARS to get the joke? I'm not sure what I thought before...I guess I just figured that I didn't really understand it, but didn't want to illustrate my disability by asking.
Another example: I was doing dishes last night, when I was again visited by the Dim-Bulb Epiphany Fairy. I read The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy when I was young (12, maybe? I can't remember). There's a line early on, in which Ford Prefect is telling Arthur Dent about being teleported:
Ford: "It's unpleasantly like being drunk."
Arthur: "What's so unpleasant about being drunk?"
Ford: "You ask a glass of water."
Audience: "BWAHAHAHAHA!"
Now, for years, I sort of figured that Ford was making some allusion to water tasting bad after being drunk, or something, and wondered why such a strangely unfunny line was in such a funny book. Last night, I finally got the joke. Again, somwthing like twenty years later, and after having read it countless times.
What is wrong with me? Am I just unbelievably dense? Does this happen to anyone else?
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