2016-07-27


It's too bad that our kids don't know that comedy existed before the millennium, and that there is another kind of humor besides "punking" people.  They probably don't even realize that "Candid Camera" started that trend decades ago.  

This country has been through so many hard times, from the depression, to wars, to 9/11,  and when it got to be too much to bear, we've always turned to humor to lift our spirits. 

So many challenging things happen during the course of our lives, I think we should be more appreciative of the absurd things that come up as we go about our day.  Maybe it's God's way of reminding us that, even in the midst of obligations and obstacles, there's always something to laugh about.  

The other day we took my dog, Sheena, to get checked out by her veterinarian.  His name?  Dr. Bacon.  We chatted as he gave her a check-up, and he told me he went to vet school with two friends - one named Dr. Fox and one, Dr. Peacock.  I kid you not. 

Years ago, when the department at a large pharmaceutical company where I worked was eliminated, the mass lay-offs were called "optimization."  I kid you not. 

Barbra Streisand had a concert tour awhile back, and when told the $1000 cost of her tickets was too high, she said that if you amortized the dollar amount over all the years of pleasure her singing has brought her audience, it's actually quite a bargain.  I kid you not!  

These humorous things that happen during the course of my day remind me that comedy has always been an important part of my life.

What are some of your favorite go-to comedies that you use to lift up your spirits when you're blue?  I love the old-time fare, like the Odd Couple, Mary Tyler Moore, Dick Van Dyke, even farther back, Burns and Allen, and modern shows like 30 Rock and SNL.  It's a great way to plug into the lighter side and forget about the pile of work you still need to get done, or the bills that still aren't paid.

Sometimes life is so hard that if we don't laugh, we might cry.  Enjoy those moments of levity as they come, and focus more on the positive side than the negative.  That's the best way to get through the trials and on to better days.  


Funny Bone

Fill my day with lightness and laughter.
Let a good mood pervade the air.
Connect us with comedy, puns, limericks.
Take my mind off the tedium of work
and the seriousness of life.
Let me hear a great fish story.
Or a haiku in pig-Latin
Knock-knock jokes, silly faces,
whatever it takes to give us that break we need.
Provide us with a fresh perspective
and a sense of camaraderie.
Help us all to play well with others today.

-Ruth Williams


 

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