Since I was a child, I have said things with utter sincerity that garner laughter from people and the response, "you're so funny." or similar reactions.

I've never taken this personally. Generally, I listen, laugh along and think to myself, "Hmm...I wonder what I said that was funny." I wonder that, generally, because whatever it is/was that I said or did was done genuinely and meant as such--not as a joke. But, I was talking to a friend today and realized that there are two options. Either I have an unnatural sense of what's normal, or a normal sense of the absurd.

It happens at work, or with friends or in class. For example, the other day, I rose my hand to participate in a class discussion at work (a rare occurrence as I speak Army very poorly). The teacher asked what a counter-attack was and I said, with enthusiasm that I was finally contributing something worthwhile, and said it was like stepping into a punch to take the force out of it. It wasn't exactly a parallel example, but I though it got the point across.

Instead, there was laughter, a confused look on the teacher's face and, after a brief pause, a move to have someone else provide an answer.

I've grown used to this phenomenon. But I think I notice it more now than I did as a child. It's like standing on one side of a chasm I didn't realize existed before. On one side is everyone else in the world, and on my side is me. That's too emo and melancholy an example...but I can't think of a better one. We all exist in our own minds, to be sure, but I think most people are confident that their minds are at least similar to others. I'm beginning to feel like I might be more "unique" than I had thought before.

This is neither good nor bad, just...true.