The husband leaned back in his chair, trying to understand what he had just heard. He had expected his wife to mention following a river, finding a trail, or using the sun to determine direction. Instead, she was talking about chasing coyotes with rocks. “Honey,” he said carefully, “I’m not sure you’re understanding the question. You’re stranded in the middle of nowhere. You have no map, no phone reception, and no idea where civilization is. How is throwing a rock at a coyote supposed to help you get home?”

His wife gave him a patient smile, the kind people use when explaining something they believe should be obvious. “Because my father always told me that when a coyote gets frightened, it runs toward the city!” she explained. “So all I have to do is scare one and follow it. Problem solved!” She folded her arms proudly, completely satisfied with her answer. Her husband opened his mouth to respond, but no words came out. He had spent years studying, reading, and learning, yet somehow his wife had just invented an entirely new method of navigation.

After several seconds of silence, he finally managed to ask, “And what happens if the coyote runs deeper into the forest?” His wife shrugged. “Then I’ll know it’s not the right coyote!” He blinked. “The right coyote?” She nodded enthusiastically. “Obviously! You just have to find one that knows where it’s going!” At this point, the husband realized that arguing was pointless. Every question he asked seemed to produce an even more confident answer, and he was beginning to wonder whether he was the one missing something.

Finally, he stood up, walked over to his laptop, and opened the folder containing his college certificates. His wife watched curiously. “What are you doing?” she asked. He sighed dramatically and pretended to delete the folder. “I’m getting rid of my education,” he replied. “Apparently, I spent all those years studying when I could’ve just asked your father about coyote-powered GPS!” His wife burst out laughing. Of course, following or frightening wildlife is not a safe or reliable way to escape a forest, but as a joke, her completely unexpected answer had certainly won the evening.

Who made you laugh more — the wife with her coyote GPS or the husband deleting his college degree? 😂