A little child about a year old begins to talk. His dad asks him, “What would you like for your first birthday?”
The child answers, “A pink ping pong ball.”
“Sure,” says the dad.
The kid turns five and again is asked, “So what would you like for your birthday, son?”
“A pink ping pong ball,” he says again.
“OK.”
Ten years old and is asked for another birthday present, and he answers, “A pink ping pong ball.”
“Why do you keep asking for a pink ping pong ball, sport?”
“I’ll tell you later, dad,” answers the child.
The boy turns into a man, twenty-one years old.
“My boy is finally old enough to drink! What do you want for your birthday?”
The child thinks…”A pink ping pong ball!”
“Why the heck do you keep asking for a pink ping pong ball?!”
“Ah, it’s not important. I’ll tell you later.”
“My big man! Married, happy, and just had his 35th birthday! What would you like for this joyous occasion?”
“A pink ping pong ball,” he answers again.
“This is starting to tick me off, son…”
“It’s not important, dad. You’ll figure out later.”
Halfway through his life, 50 years old.
“What’s my big man want for his birthday this time? I’m sure you want something else by now.”
The 50 year old man thinks for a moment, then says, “A pink ping pong ball.”
“Why, oh why, do you keep asking for a pink ping pong ball?!”
“Later, dad, later.”
70 years and again he wants a pink ping pong ball.
“You’d better tell me son, seventy years I’ve been waiting and still no answer.”
“It’s not important, dad. I’ll tell sometime else.”
Ninety-nine years old. The very old son is lying on his deathbed.
“Now, son. You’re almost one hundred years old. I wanna get you something important, that you’ll remember even til death. What will that be?”
“A pink ping pong ball.”
“Oh my gosh. I’m tired of this now. I want to know now why you keep wanting a dang pink ping pong ball!”
“Fine. I want a pink ping pong ball because…”
And he died.