At the family BBQ, Uncle Larry leaned back in his lawn chair, sipping a lukewarm beer, and declared, “I got a joke for y’all.” The crowd leaned in, expecting a classic. Larry cleared his throat. “Why don’t squirrels ever get cold?” He paused, grinning like he’d just invented fire. “Because they’ve got… nuts!” The silence was thicker than the BBQ smoke. Cousin Karen snorted. “That’s not even a joke. That’s a fact.” Larry’s grin faded. “It’s a pun!” He waved a greasy hot dog like a conductor’s baton. “You’re missing the punchline!” Aunt Linda clapped, too loud. “Great job, Larry! Now who wants seconds on the potato salad?” The group scattered, leaving Larry to stare at his shoes, muttering, “They didn’t laugh. They didn’t even groan.” Later, he’d blame the heat. But we all knew: some jokes don’t land. They just… squirrel away, forgotten and slightly embarrassed.
