Ian

So, in lieu of actually coming up with any original ideas, because I am not having much success to be honest, I have decided to introduce you all to someone very near and dear to my heart: my brother Ian. Now, my sorry attempt at a proper introduction won't even come close to doing him justice, but it is my duty to try. Also- I am required to post something and I am seriously out of ideas. He visited this weekend and I was, as I always am, sad to see him go.
Ian and I are 5 years apart, and have a sibling in between us, but we are more alike than anyone else in the family. We look alike, think alike and have some of the same experiences. He is the single coolest kid alive.
He will always be that bubbly little kid, no matter how tall he gets. His football coach once told my dad, " I have never seen anyone smile so much while they are getting the stuffing kicked out of 'em!" We have dubbed him the "Danny Zuko" of our family because there isn't one sport that Ian won't try. Basketball, baseball, track, football and now golf. What a kid.
He is wise beyond his years, which is exactly what he tells my mom in order to explain the less than perfect report cards she receives quarterly. He refuses to let school get in the way :)
The kid got the best of both worlds, with my mom's quick wit ( and unique brand of self-sacrificing humor) and my dad's mellow demeanor. The only one living at home, he caught on quickly to the way things work in the Walter house. He has my mom figured out, and can weasel his way out of anything. He has also discovered that she will never stop constantly striving to embarrass you. I swear, the woman goes out of her way to see your face turn red. That took me years to figure out and master.
I hope he never changes

Get it?

So, I have learned (mainly through experience unfortunately) that my humor is not always understood and/or appreciated. Don't get me wrong, I know the moments in which seriousness and professionalism are required, I just don't always exercise that ability. Like for instance, in restaurants, I tend to be a little inappropriate, especially if I am hungry.
This weekend I went out to eat at Olive Garden with my mom. I ordered the endless soup and salad like I always do. The waiter came back after my first bowl and asked me if I wanted another. I looked at him with a straight face and said "Duh." The next time he came back, he asked me again and I said "Hit me." After a long, very awkward blank stare, I rephrased my somehow confusing response into a, "Yes please." He also tried to take my soup away from me before I was done. That is the single worst crime you could commit against me. Let's just say he learned his lesson. Now, he will always think twice before lurching for a customer's unfinished dish.
It's not like I don't understand proper etiquette in restaurants, but I am just always striving to lighten the mood. There is no need for things to be serious all the time.
The problem with this kind of self-sacrificing, often inappropriate humor is that it becomes my fallback. Awkward situations, tense moments, or even just boredom- I always resort to something that will change the mood and will always insert something embarrassing about myself into the equation. It is a guaranteed laugh.
So, is there a remedy? Who knows. But its way too much fun to correct.