there are four jokers in a deck, y'know

First of all, I know what 'joker in the pack' means; someone who is unpredictable yah-dee-dah.

Now that I've highlighted my literary knowledge, I can move on to what I actually what I wanted to say. Every now and then, I get sick and tired of being a joker. Not in the pack, but in everything. Or, more accurately, being taken for a joker. After a while, who takes you seriously eh? You're expected to provide the laughs, the lawak bodoh, the antidote to everyone else's gloom.

Laugh a little less, and it's an immediate "something's wrong with him/ her". Crack one joke less, "something bothering you?" It's bemusing how easily people take others at face value. Get drunk once, and you're a drunkard for life. Sounds familiar to most of us, I'm sure.

I am entitled to a bad day or two, surprise surprise. Unbelievable, but even jesters toss their hats away and slump down on the chair, depressed or dismayed or upset or just plain saddened. And that's definitely hard to fathom for some, by the look of things.

Then again, question: do I give a damn?

Answer: Vehement, expletive-filled NO!