Remember when you were a child how you’d always be asked, “How was school today?”
I suppose it was one of those opened ended questions adults use for you to “spill the beans.”
Sometimes it did work. We told how Billy got in trouble for eating the paste or how Margaret fell down in the cafeteria with her tray of food spilling all over her and everyone near her. And, sometimes, we just shrugged and said, “Fine.”
Well, I had this neighbor who would ask, “Did anything funny happen at school today?”
That was a different spin on the usual question and it surprised me.
For one, what I thought might be funny may not be funny to an adult and there may be a lesson to be learned from that.
On the other hand, it gave me something to think about and to look for . . . Margaret’s fall was funny — we had chili beans for lunch that day and it was a major mess all over her and all over the floor and some of it splashed on others near her. And, before it was cleaned up a couple of other kids slipped in the chili bean mess on the floor, fell and added to it.
Then, although Margaret tried her best to clean herself up, after lunch the classroom smelled like chili beans.
It was an embarrassing situation for Margaret, but she wasn’t hurt . . . may have ruined her dress, but it was kind of funny . . . especially when others slipped in the chili bean mess on the floor . . . And, yes, it was funny that complete innocent by-standers got splattered with Margaret’s lunch.
It was funny for me to watch the expression on the faces of the kids who got splashed and those who slipped and made wide arm movements to keep from falling . . . but in the process dumped their tray of food down the front of them or the person next to them . . .
I’m sure you, too, can see the humor . . . it is always funnier when you’re observing from a safe distance.
As it turned out, my neighbor gave me something new to focus upon . . . finding humor everyday.
What’s really great is when we can laugh at ourselves.
Putting up tree decorations is usually an experience that can be humorous. I remember getting the ladder and working for about an hour getting the lights up on the house . . . only to discover that I had the plug end on the wrong side . . . Thus I put up the string of light backwards . . . We didn’t have lights that year . . . I was completed disgusted with myself . . . but I can laugh about it. And I’m sure the neighbors enjoyed it!
I have this huge oak tree in front of my house. The leaves have these sharp points on the end . . . I went out to get the mail in my bare feet and I can only imagine the “show” I put on as I tried to walk getting stuck with those sharp leaves.
It is good to laugh. At yourself and to see the humor in everyday activities of others. Yes, they may not appreciate being laughed out, but you can hold it in until later . . .
Remember how you’d be walking in line and someone would step on the back of your shoe giving you a “flat tire.” You were stuck taking a step with the shoe that was on your foot and then sliding the shoe with the “flat tire” with the other foot. It made a funny sound of step-slide-step-slid. And what would make it better is if someone else ahead of you had the same experience . . . sometimes your steps weren’t in unison and it made a funny sound . . .
And, have you noticed, when you see something funny and you’re about to burst out in laughter . . . but you’re in the wrong setting . . . maybe church or a library . . . or someone’s home . . . or formal gathering . . . And, trying to hold in your laughter is almost painful . . .
Those were the good ol’ days . . . and they can be part of your everyday life. Just lighten up and see the humor around you. There is plenty! You just have to look for it!
Thanks for stopping by!
Sharon
