On taking offence at jokes!

Dear Priya
When a tiny tot puts its foot in the mouth, the whole crowd standing around it lets a gasp of adoration. Lord Krishna's most enduring image is as 'Vatapathra Sayee', a child lying on a banyan leaf and sucking its toes. But when a grown up man puts his foot in his mouth , he becomes an object of ridicule! Do you know that a 'Foot in the Mouth Award' is given each year in London for the most baffling comment by a public figure?

Even humour is a double edged weapon. Ill placed humour can land us in very serious difficulty. Brevity is ditto. Whenever I try to be brief, my wife asks me 'vaaila enna kozhukkattaya?'!
Sri