(Tom Jirik wrote columns in several newspapers in Iowa from the late 1980’s to the mid 1990’s.  This column originally appeared in the The Boone Today) 

There’s a mean streak in all of us.  We try to hide it.  We try to deny it.  But it’s there.

Have you ever seen someone walking down the sidewalk and suddenly stumble on one of those cracks?  It’s awfully hard to stifle that quiet little chuckle, isn’t it?  Or how about when someone has a piece of food stuck to their teeth?  Why is that so funny?

It’s just human nature, I guess.

Nobody I know gets any real joy out of true tragedy?  Serious injuries, fires and deaths in the family are no laughing matter.  It’s those little day-to-day mishaps that happen to everybody that can be so humorous.

But sometimes there are incidents that are on the border between serious and the hilarious.  At those times, you try to maintain your composure and show the proper respect for a serious and sad situation.  You try not to laugh.  You try to be supportive.  You try not to add insult to injury.  But it can be awfully difficult.

For example, my brother-in-law sank his pickup truck in a lake last weekend.  What a terrible thing to happen! (Ha!)

On Sunday, Bill drove his pickup and boat to White Bear Lake near the Twin Cities.  The lake had been dredged recently and the boat ramp is a little steeper than in past seasons.  A friend who was backing the boat down the boat ramp stopped and stepped out to make sure everything was going OK.  Before you could say,” Don’t forget to set the parking brake!”  The boat, boat trailer, and the pickup were headed down the ramp all by themselves.

Bill and his friend watched helplessly as the trailer and then the pickup disappeared into the lake.  Only the boat remained on the surface of the water.

That’s a sad, sad accident.  Bill’s pickup is ruined.  And I’m sure the incident put a damper on what could have been a very good day fishing.  You can’t help feeling deeply aggrieved by what happened.  (Hee!  Hee!  Hee!)

Bill called a wrecker to come and pull his fishing rig out of the lake. As the tow truck slowly pulled the truck out of the lake, water poured out of the truck.  When he opened the doors, gallons of murky lake water spilled out onto the pavement.  There were even a few fish flopping about.

How sad.  (Haw! Haw! Ho! Ho! Hee! Hee! Hee!)

Think of what that lake water will do to the upholstery.  I bet it will smell forever.  Think of how it will ruin the electrical components in the dash and on the engine.  Think of all those bearings and seals in the engine and drive train that will be ruined by the water.  And can any rust-proofing treatment survive a dunk in the lake?

I feel bad for Bill.  I really, really do.  I know how I’d feel if my pickup rolled into a lake.  (I’d probably feel pretty stupid.)  I’m planning to call Bill and let him know how terrible I feel about the whole thing.  I’m just waiting until I can do it with a straight face.