I smirked. I shouldn’t have, but I couldn’t help it. I was enjoying myself at the expense of another human. I glanced at his flushed, sweaty face and completely mortified countenance. He was staring at the ground, trying to avoid making eye contact with anyone else in the room. I had to bury my face in my hands to stifle the laughter. I was probably just as red as he was. One of God’s precious creatures was suffering some sort of self-imposed misery and it brought joy to my heart. Of course, had the circumstance been anything truly terrifying or depressing, I would have reacted differently. I wouldn’t be enjoying the situation. I’d probably have some sympathy to offer.
Then again, if this particular person wasn’t quite like they are, I might enjoy it less, too. He’d hopefully learn his lesson (I had my doubts) and we’d never have to go through this kind of experience ever again. He had a reputation for opening his mouth before his brain had a minute to consider the syllables that could never be retracted. I wasn’t much different from him in this respect, but the words that came out of my mouth were never quite as bad as what was just spoken.
Basically, we were all laughing at a dirty joke. It wasn’t intentional, but was one of those innuendos that one spouts out as an expression of naivety or due to a lack of better judgment. It was the kind of statement that precedes somebody spitting their drink all over the place. The situation fostered merriment, but would later bring about some guilt. We shouldn’t be laughing at these kinds of things and all of us knew it.
There’s no such thing as a truly guilty pleasure. If guilt or shame is involved, something has been perverted and the joy of the experience has been compromised. The best joy won’t have any regrets. Dirty jokes might make us panic-laugh for a few minutes, but I think if we’re honest, most of us wish we didn’t find them humorous at all. The best pleasures won’t result in STDs. They probably won’t prevent us from passing a drug test. The best pleasures aren’t likely to get us locked up in jail or rehab. The devil won’t make you feel bad about the purest form of enjoyment, and neither will your mother. The best joy and the best pleasure, will come from innocence.
What pleasures have been ruined for you?
Do you think they can be redeemed?
(i do)
Written for One Word at a Time by Peter Pollock . Check out the other stories, they’re great!
My favorite TWSS moment happened at a party last year. A cousin suggested I send my resume out early (teaching) to “get a leg up on the competition”. I had to spit my drink back into the glass and said “That’s what SHE said!” Let’s just say my family doesn’t expect that from me, so the look on the faces in that room was PRICEless.
I love it!!!
I could tell some, but then that would be a guilty pleasure.
Good point?
I generally walk away when someone try’s to tell a dirty joke. If it’s racial or dirty they learn to not even start it with me. Not that I’m an angel or anything. I can’t think of too many pleasures that I haven’t polluted along the way. But, God is the way back…
Floyd, I like that line. “God is the way back…” it will stick with me. I had to walk away recently, because some friends who don’t go to church started talking about their exploits on a whole new level. I mostly panicked and almost ran away, but oh well 🙂 Point made, humans.
As any other guy, I think the idea of sex has been ruined, as I have struggled with issues like porn and constant uses of TWSS (I can thank The Office for that!).
Do I believe they can be redeemed? You bet! In fact, He has already started redeeming those areas in my life.
I love it. I it’s funny to see what things can be ruined by us, society, the devil, whoever is to blame. I’m glad that almost all of them can be fixed!
I have a friend who shares slightly risque jokes with me over e-mail. I do not forward them further, but they are our secret guilty pleasure. At least we are not prudish!
Hazel, I’m glad you’re not prudish! I think there’s a fine line in jokes. Some can be made between married people, others between men only, some are exclusive to women and when they’re in that context, I don’t think they’re bad at all!! It’s just a matter of knowing how to decipher what should and shouldn’t be said, right?
I’m completely with you!
The thing I’ve found is that if I try to avoid the ‘guilty’ pleasures, the true pleasures become that much more enjoyable because there’s no guilt hiding at the back of my mind over the ‘pleasure’ I enjoyed yesterday.
Perfect! Peter, I’m glad you got it. :)Why avoid a lesser pleasure when a better one might be available?
I must confess–it’s rare that I don’t enjoy a well placed “That’s what she said”.
Since using that phrase has been frowned upon during praise team practice, the drummer and I have developed non-verbal eye contact with one another to call attention to a TWSS moment.
Many things have been ruined for me. Things that begin with cool and good intentions which, when said things become ridiculously popular, attract people who find a way to make it annoying and tiresome. Twitter, for example…
I’m with you friend. We have a non-verbal thing amongst some of my church friends…. we raise one hand and drop it. Everyone sees, but few understand what just happened…. it’s fun.