nero, I'm wondering if his parent(s) yelled at him when he did something wrong by the question he asked you, i.e., do you want to yell at me today or tomorrow. Joking about things is his way of deflecting the seriousness of the situation. It's not to make things light and airy.
What I found useful when I had so much emotion build up wiithin was to take a pillow and beat the crap out of it. If that didn't work, I took a nice long walk. In the warmer months, I would tackle the weeds in my flower beds. I had to get physical w/things in order to get rid of my anger, etc. Even going to the gym helped release that pent up emotion.
Why do you think you are a pretty sad speciman? From where I'm sitting, you are being normal in a situtation that was shoved at you. Eventually, you'll settle down and not be "running" to the forum as much. Right now, you need the support because this is all so new to you. Don't be so hard on yourself. You are normal in every way!
Sit quietly, the answers will reveal themselves when you least expect them to. The past is gone, the present is a gift and you need to focus on today, allow the future to reveal itself when it is ready.
