Frank Deaver Rotary Editorials

     It all began with the posting of a joke on the ROTI list server. From there the thread began. Over the next three months, more than 30 ROTIans from as many as 14 countries on six continents chimed in with nearly 200 postings.

     Those who didn't follow the thread but tuned in late might have been astonished at the new words in the vernacular:

     Avacondas, Guavamoles, Ava Guavas, Amwags. But each of those entities came to life in the banter that strained cyberspace with its mangled definitions.

     Who could have anticipated that a lawyer joke would yield such an expansion of the vocabulary? And would attorneys take offense? Although there was no indication of professional sensitivity,  readers were reminded that “We all have to be light-hearted enough to laugh at ourselves, and it's OK to poke fun at stereotypes of others -- a little bit, and in a gentle, affectionate way.

     So directly or indirectly, contributors to the thread poked fun at each other, at various vocations, at regional customs (eccentricities?), at languages and weather – well, apparently anything became fair game. But all in "a gentle, affectionate way."

     Speaking of stereotypes (and that’s not necessarily bad), some distinct personalities surfaced in the postings. First, there was the original joke-teller. Unless under a different name, he never contributed further – but one wonders if he watched in amazement what he had started.

     Then there were some who chimed in only once, either as a latecomer who wondered what was going on, or a contributor of only a brief witticism.

     But critical to the continuity of the thread, two imaginative types were constant participants, parsing the language in sly, imaginative, and humorous ways. Without them, the thread would surely have had a much shorter life. Others opined often enough to establish a broad base and liven the exchanges.

     A cynic might wonder if these people didn’t have better things to do with their time. But wait. First, they provoked smiles, chuckles, even guffaws, for countless readers of the thread. And second, they took a little time for humor, that spice of life that makes the rest more bearable, even more productive.

     The story is told that two lumberjacks were working together, cutting trees. One swung his axe constantly for an 8-hour day; the other paused every couple of hours to sit on a stump and sharpen his axe. Although the first appeared to be working harder, at the end of the day the other had felled more trees, and was also less fatigued.

     There are two lessons in the story. First, an occasional pause in our work can be refreshing. Second, sharpening our tools (whatever they be) can improve efficiency.

     Surely the same can be said for a generous dose of humor in the life of a Rotarian.

     So what are Avacondas, Guavamoles, Ava Guavas, and Amwags? Sorry, but they can't be adequately explained in this short commentary.  Elsewhere in this Breadbasket you can "catch up" by reading the thread (inserted below).  And you could "sharpen your axe" by tuning in often to ROTI chat threads.