:: aaand YOU'RE done... ::

:: the wind-up ::
ever had that on of those moments... the real funny ones that you so desperately want to share with someone? Of course you have, so you do the whole head-thrown-back-in-laughter right into the quick-look-around, face frozen in a giant smile, for a receiving pair of eyes that just experienced the same moment??

yes. i have them often and yet, somehow, i rarely find those eyes.

:: the explanation ::
Instead, you meet a pair of eyes looking at you like you're making a weird face at them [ok, so those are common with laughter] and it's as if they've never seen you before [maybe because you're making such a weird face.]
...and you try to explain. Everyone does it. You start out in the stage of a mumbled mess of words in between chuckles, then it dies down into a fading smile and a quiet voice, until you finally cough to suppress the gargling sound coming from your mouth- and look the other way.

:: the moment has passed ::
aka:: "retreat"
you failed. now they're confused. lately i've decided it's just too much work to explain; because if you do, it BETTER be funny. it's not even funny by now. I like to resort to the slight smile, the quick wave of the hand, and the change of subject.

aaand you're done.

..thank goodness that moment has passed.