The husband’s challenge sounded simple: imagine being stranded deep in a forest without GPS or phone reception. How would she get home? His wife paused, then announced she would grab a large rock, find a coyote, and try to hit it. His disbelief only made her more confident. According to her dad, a frightened coyote would head toward the city. Her solution? Follow it straight back to civilization. To her, the problem was solved; to him, the conversation had taken a turn no textbook could explain.
For several seconds, he said nothing. Then, in the joke’s final flourish, he opened his laptop and deleted his college degree folder. “Somewhere along the way,” he whispered, “I clearly missed that class.” Her questionable wildlife wisdom wasn’t a survival tip, but her delivery won the exchange. He had brought a brainteaser; she had brought absolute confidence—and apparently, a navigation system powered by coyote.