What’s the worst thing you can do to your lungs?

I asked a pulmonary doctor.

Granted, the pulmonary doctor I asked was, ahem, smoking.

I was just making some small talk as this doctor is quite old. I was also poking some fun at him as he was, well, deep into a cigarette. He doesn’t have lung cancer. I also wanted to let my son get to know him a little more. Let my son learn a little about the medical profession from a seasoned professional.

What I didn’t expect was … the unexpected.

I had forgotten how witty this doctor was. How funny. What dry humor he had. But also very clever and delivered with a straight face. I think sometimes he didn’t even realize how clever or funny he was being, it was just how he thought and he said what was on his mind. He wasn’t politically correct and you never quite knew what was going to come out of his mouth. That was the fun of it. The unexpected.

With a straight face and a deep drag on his cigarette, he answered my question: What’s the worst thing you can do to your lungs?

“Ride a motorcycle.”

P.S. I’m filing this under Health. Maybe I should have another category called Humor or Lightness.