324 - Can business posts include humor?

It seems that every post on LinkedIn is written either with great seriousness or slapstick humor.

The posts that get the most engagement on social media seem to be the ones that include drama, pain, and tragedy.

LinkedIn is international. Colloquial humor can go right past many people.

I'm not talking about mean-spirited humor either, which should be taboo.

But, people all over the world love to laugh.

Like music, laughter brings people together and releases stress.

Professionals in all industries find time for humor, laughter, and fun.

Everywhere I've been, people love to laugh...or were they laughing at me?

Hmmm, I never considered that before. (Is it necessary to interject here that I was joking?)

I was once in a restaurant, after a concert, in Beijing, China along with a large group of musicians.

The Chinese musicians have a tradition (as many cultures do) of slinging down a glass of beer to see who will finish first.

It was a way to break the ice since we had a major language barrier.

There were 8-10 brass players present. You know, the tough guys of the orchestra who play the French horn, trumpet, trombone, and tuba.

They stood and handed me a glass of beer and invited me to join them.

As the only woman brass player, I was being accepted among them.

OK, what harm could one beer do, right?

I stood. We all said "ChinChin" and down went the beer.

I was the first to slam my glass on the table.

Mind you, I was more surprised than they were. I wasn't exactly known for my macho drinking skills.

The laughter was deafening! These tough guys were getting ribbed by everyone.

...Beaten by a "girl"!

It wasn't about drinking massive amounts or getting drunk. It was a way to communicate, to say YES, I am like you. I like to have fun and laugh.

One beer was my limit. I made that clear.

The next night, we played a concert in Shanghai.

Once again, we were all having dinner after the concert.

This time, brass players from the local orchestra had heard about the incident in Beijing.

I looked around to see more than a dozen men standing around me, each with a broad grin and a beer in one hand.

They were sure they could outperform their colleagues in Beijing.

This time, I was not invited. I was challenged, and...

I was ready. After all, my reputation was now on the line!!

I stood, said ChinChin, and guzzled my beer.

I slammed down my glass.

As the second person slammed his glass down he exclaimed joyfully, "I NUMBER TWO!!"

I would never have expected to win a beer chugging contest with anyone. But it turns out, I have a talent I didn't know about.

There was only one stipulation. I would only do it once. One glass. No more. I'm not stupid!

I was on tour to play concerts not get rip-roaring drunk every night.

I took my profession seriously but I also knew how to unwind and have fun.

As I write this post, I envision people shaking their heads in disgust that I would have engaged in such crude behavior.

That's the risk when posting on an internationally viewed website.

The story was about laughter and release, after concentrating for 2 solid hours in front of an audience of 2,500 people.

It created a mutual bond and understanding. We all love to laugh and have fun, even if we can't speak each other's language.

Professional and business people love to laugh.

I hope to see more uplifting posts in 2022.

Can business posts include humor?