Ante-up

It came back to me today that one of my favorite qualities in a person is ante-up. It's a rare gem. The first time you discover someone has it, you know it's the start of something fantastic. Ante-up happens when you say something borderline ridiculous, usually on purpose, and you consciously or subconsciously see if the other person can catch that ball and throw it back—preferably faster.

When done right, it's not competitive. It's a pleasurable sharpening of each other's mental game. In the moment of play, two things happen: first, vulnerability. Can he catch the ball? Otherwise interpreted as, will he know you are being facetious (adj.: meant to be humorous or funny : not serious), and will he find it humorous too? Second, discovery. Can she return serve? In other words, can she not only not blink an eye at the ridiculous thing you just said, but can she say something even more ridiculous in response?

Successful Ante-up:

[Phone Call]

Me (monotonically transitioning): And I read something in the newspaper that will change your life. They have an American Idol-esque show in Senegal about sheep called "Khar Bii," translation "this sheep." They are searching for the most perfect bovid.

A-Bass (without hesitation): I've been thinking about entering. In fact, I plan to go on a trip where I get kidnapped by Bedouins. From there, I'll learn how to raise sheep, and if anyone knows how to raise sheep, it's those Bedouins. Smuggling one to Senegal might pose the biggest problem . . .

Ten out of ten. This was thrown faster and was curved sharper. Clever not only because it was creative on its own merits, but because it referenced a past conversation that also referenced a past conversation—retroactive dominoes. It made me laugh—gutturally.