When I lived in VA Beach I befriended a man by the name of Mike Christian. Mike was a Viet Nam POW. He stayed in the Hanoi Hilton for over five years.

I’ve known several people, all friends from school and people I’ve met in my life who were in Viet Nam and when they came back, they never really came back, if you know what I mean.

They all had mental problems because of what happened in the jungles of Nam. But Mike was different. He didn’t seem to be messed up at all. He had all his facilities up here (head) when he returned home. He seemed alright.

I asked him one day, “How did you survive the Hanoi Hilton and not lose your mind? What kept you from going insane like all the others?”

And Mikes answer astounded me. He said, “Because I never lost me sense of humor. When all others around me were going crazy, I was laughing and taking it all in with a grain of salt. My sense of humor saved me from losing my mind in Viet Nam.”

That’s when I realized that this thing called humor is some powerful stuff. If it kept Mike Christian from losing his mind in Viet Nam, it can certainly help you with any problem you may have.

Mike isn’t with us anymore. He was killed in a fire. But the lesson he taught me about humor will be with me forever.

Never lose your sense of humor. If you lose that you lose everything. You must always keep your sense of humor. The world is a better place with you in it. And the world would be a better place today if Mike Christian were still in it. He was a great friend.