My father was a bright, well-educated college professor with a clever, sophisticated sense of humor. In his seventies, though, I noticed that his wit degraded noticeably. He delighted in what we, his children, called “Old Man Humor.”

I just had my 70th birthday and a friend, a coeval, sent me the following. I thought they were all very funny, but I am pretty sure that my children wouldn’t think so. And I know K wouldn’t. (I just asked her.)

Is this a condition that can be reversed? Or is it nature’s way of making it easier for your children to accept your departure when the time comes?