It’s very easy to get caught up in life’s day to day activities, as if it’s some life or death situation. I don’t know about you, but about once or twice a week, I have a tendency to magnify things out of proportion. Yes, life is important, but isn’t it also meant to be fun?

It’s almost become unacceptable to laugh at ourselves…we always seem to take ourselves and loved ones way too seriously. There has to be a hidden meaning behind every line that somebody is saying…..well, sometimes there isn’t…it’s just a joke…. nothing more. A friend of mine recently mentioned to me, “There is no such thing as a joke. It’s really somebody’s way of telling you something.” I’m sorry, but that’s not always correct. Humor has become, in some quarters, something that only belongs in comedy clubs. The reason Seinfeld was such a successful show was because it poked fun at how seriously we live our lives. Each one of the characters searched to find the answers each week to their dilemmas, until at some point during the show, either Jerry, or one of the other crew stopped everyone in their tracks and said, “Are we crazy? We’re talking about a Jacuzzi here!!!” I remember one episode distinctly, where the parking spot outside Jerry’s apartment was looked upon as a piece of gold that someone had to watch and protect to make sure that it was available for George to park his car. What’s sad is, in many cities, parking has become a major occupation!!

Another friend of mine recently went into the city to look for the best price for a camera he was hoping to purchase. He went uptown…he went downtown….he went everywhere searching for the perfect price, until he found the store that had it. The gleam in his eye telling me that he got the best price imaginable, was breathtaking. Then I asked him, “Tell me Jim, while you were driving around, how much gasoline did you burn in your car, and what was the wear and tear on your nerves and vehicle?” A puzzled look came over his face, while he calculated the $25.00 gas tank that was used, the noise that his car is now making, and the beads of sweat that ran down his face. Factoring in all of this, did he really get the best price?

One last story I would like to share with you is about my friend Sherry. She was diagnosed with a bleeding ulcer, rushed to the emergency room, and sent on a stretcher to the operating table. All the while Sherry was hysterically laughing! The nurse looked at the doctor and said, “This girl is dying….why is she laughing?” Thankfully, Sherry survived and is now doing very well. I asked her, “Sherry, why were you laughing?” She replied, “I realized at that point how temporary and hysterical Life truly is…and I fully understood how seriously I had taken each moment…rarely allowing myself to relax, and feel joy.” These days, one thing I can really say, I rarely see Sherry without a smile on her face……

The weekends are my time to kick back and relax. I try to learn to never forget to find the joy and humor in my life. All the rest takes up it’s own share of my time…but the humor………that’s up to me.

Keep Smiling,

love, Jennifer
© 2000 Jennifer Avalon