By Michael Pakaluk, The Catholic Thing - There were a handful of jokes that Michael Novak told regularly. One went: “The pessimist says, ‘Things can’t get any worse.’ The optimist says, ‘Oh yes they can!’” Another was: “In a well-functioning marriage, the husband always has the last word. And it’s ‘Yes, dear.’” I learned from Novak, or at least I learned to admire, a certain equanimity and balance. Yes, which included a sense of humor, ready-to-hand, that would put even serious problems in perspective.