"I DON'T GET IT"

Buff. Her name is Elizabeth. I never asked but assumed she pronounced her name Elizabuff when little and the name stuck. Very few times did I ever hear her referred to as Buffy.

Pretty and smart, Buff became known to me in the 7th grade. Bright eyes but dense, I think. That's why I thought of her when I found the Einstein button pictured.

She never got a joke. Not the first time anyway. Ever. You could tell. Sometimes she'd smile and give a cute little laugh, but I knew her, I knew when she was faking and laughed when she didn't get the joke. Yet she didn't care; that is, the joke or funny story didn't interest her.

But when it did, that's where the Buffiness took over. "I don't get it!" She'd almost plead. I or the teller would go over it again. You'd see the light go on, the eyes grow and she'd laugh. Sometimes kinda covering up her mouth. An act of embarrassment. An act of "Why didn't I get it," though I never heard her confess.

There was some disconnect there. It was no act of playing dumb. She really never got it for whatever reason.

I've lost track of Buff over the years. But if I think I'll ever encounter her again, you can bet I'll have a joke ready. And I'll be ready to explain it.