The generation gap has really gotten to me lately. It's not that I am unhappy with the morals, styles and past-times of the younger generation. I might be in some of those areas, but that isn't my biggest problem. My problem is that the younger people don't understand my sense of humor.

I will say something with my tongue in my cheek and some young thing will take me seriously and try to explain the situation more clearly.

Even saying that I say something with my tongue in my cheek needs explanations to some younger people. If they don't understand my meaning I just let it go. But many younger people seem to think they must be sure I really understood what was going on.

It couldn't be that they think I am getting old and need to be taken care of, could it? I am afraid sometimes they may think I have actually gotten senile when I will state seriously that I never eat glazed doughnuts while holding one in my hand at the social time at church. They will look at the treat and my serious face and exchange worried glances with others nearby.

I lead a class on humor at an Elderhostel in eastern Missouri. There, the other 55 and older folk understand my humor. They even laugh at my jokes or stories and can't wait to tell me a similar one.

These are people who remember the Confucius jokes of the past. Somehow it seems that some of the ones that they remember most vividly are the slightly naughty ones. One example that usually comes up is: Confucius says, "He who lives on O Street has to walk a block to P." Compared to some of the things we hear and see on TV now that doesn't seem so bad.

These Elderhostel friends also remember some of the now politically incorrect jokes such as Polish jokes, moron jokes and now blond jokes. The funny thing is any of these jokes can fit in any of the other categories because they all have to do with someone being a little dense.

The generation gap really shows up when I use some popular phrase of the time to make a point. Even the more recent advertising slogans such as "Where's the Beef?" "Please, Mother, I'd rather do it myself." Or "I can't believe I ate the whole thing!" draw blank stares from the younger set.

Yet it is nice to sometimes hear a grade-school age child come up with a "new" joke that I remember from several decades ago. The knock-knock jokes have remained in action for at least 50 years. Some of them have a modern twist, but the ones I hear from the youngsters are the same ones I used to try on my parents.

Even some of the current political jokes are familiar if the names are changed. But others are specific for the time. When there was a big discussion about John F. Kennedy running for President as a Catholic there was a joke about him being on the telephone. Jackie was hearing his side of the conversation where Kennedy kept repeating, "Yes, Father." At the end of the conversation Jackie asked her husband, "Home or Rome?" That concern seems foolish now.

So if you hear of me going around with my tongue in my cheek, backing up to get my paycheck, talking out of the other side of my mouth, or feeling my oats, just remember that I am not senile. I am just middle age plus and the generation gap has hit me where it hurts most -- my funny box!