Think Before you Mock or Tease Others

Last week I ran into someone I had not seen in over ten years. After he got my attention and said hi, I hugged him and said “Oh my god! How are you? It has been so long!” He then mocked me in a very high-pitched voice and said “Oh my god!” I was truly glad and surprised to see him, but I thought his mocking me was sort of rude. I know it was not intentional, but it was off-putting. After he did that I said very little, and found an excuse to be on my way.
This guy may have thought he was being funny, and I understand that. I have a very sarcastic personality, and I probably think I am funnier than I actually am. I always hope that my close friends and family know that this is just my sense of humor, but perhaps I am really offending people, like this guy’s simple mocking offended me.
It reminds me of a scene in “Four Weddings and a Funeral.” Hugh Grant’s Best Man speech if full of sarcastic humor, and at the next wedding the Best Man tries to emulate Grant’s humor, but it is seen as insulting. When teasing and making fun of those we love, we need to know our audience and have confidence that everyone around us know that we mean it in fun. If no one laughs, then quickly explain yourself, and then try a more serious and sincere tone. This way no one ends up offended.