My mother always had a funny saying that stuck with me, even as I grew older: “Boy, if somebody asks you a stupid question, you give them a stupid answer.” It’s a philosophy I’ve embraced, especially when faced with ridiculous situations. Let me share a couple of instances where I applied this principle and had a good laugh.
The Encounter with the Cops
One day, as I was driving peacefully in my car, I was pulled over by the police. The officer walked up to my window and asked, “Would you like to step out of the car?”
Without missing a beat, I replied with a mischievous grin, “Hell no! It’s hot outside, but I’ve got the air conditioning on full blast. How about you hop in here with me?” The absurdity of my response caught the officer off guard, and we both ended up sharing a good laugh.
A Classroom Surprise
In school, there was a teacher who took great pleasure in embarrassing students with tricky questions. One day, he decided to put me on the spot and asked, “How many kidneys do we have?”
Without hesitation, I confidently answered, “Four!” The classroom erupted in laughter, and the teacher joined in, mocking my response. Seizing the opportunity, he decided to embarrass me further by assigning me a task.
“Bring a bundle of grass since we apparently have a donkey in the room,” the teacher ordered one of the frontbenchers.
But I wasn’t one to back down easily. I promptly shot back, “And for me, a coffee!” This unexpected retort enraged the teacher, leading him to kick me out of the room.
As I walked out, still brimming with confidence, I couldn’t resist correcting the furious teacher one last time. “You asked me how many kidneys ‘we have’,” I quipped. “We have four: two of mine and two of yours. ‘We have’ is an expression used for the plural. Hope you enjoy your grass!”
The audacity of my response left my classmates in stitches, and I couldn’t help but chuckle too.
Sometimes, a silly and unexpected response is all it takes to turn a mundane situation into a memorable one. And remember, when faced with a stupid question, don’t be afraid to give a silly answer. You never know, it might just bring a smile to someone’s face!