Laughter Truly is The Best Medicine

“If I had a nickel for every time I didn’t know what was going on, I’d wonder where the hell all these nickels came from”, a line from a friend I spoke with this weekend.

The world today is more tense than a campground (I love bad puns and bad jokes too) and people seem to have forgotten how to laugh, satirize, and just plain old tell a good joke.

I agree with Mary Hirch that “Humor is a rubber sword-it allows you to make a point without drawing blood” so use it in your interactions with others more frequently.

We went thru a phase when I worked in news where we would take those pull string fireworks and booby trap everything. Your desk, chair and even equipment wasn’t safe. My boss rigged my News Vehicle so well that I couldn’t open a single door without one going off, not even the hatch on the back.

You couldn’t go to a News Conference before doing a sweep because there was a chance that, when you spread the legs of your tripod, BANG! It got to the point our News Director made us quit but not before we had many laughs at each other’s expense.

When you work in a stressful world, (and TV News is always on the list of top stressful jobs) you have got to play as hard as you work.

Stop being a stick in the mud. Grow a sense of humor. Obviously know your boundaries but go have fun, let off the pressure.

Reader’s Digest’s “Laughter Is The Best Medicine” has always been the first place I would go when reading one and I got a great joke from there I will leave you with to make you smile and, for a moment, forget your troubles.

There was a big oil well fire in Texas and the flames were so hot, no one could get within 500 feet of the fire long enough to douse it. Smoke could be seen for miles and every available fire truck was on scene along with the Governor.

In desperation, they called a volunteer department two hours away. They looked up later to see this old model fire engine with people practically dripping off of it come roaring in. “Ding ding ding ding ding ding”…ZOOM…right past everyone. They got within 100 feet of the fire. Hopped off, hosed each other down and put out the fire. The crowd cheered!

During an interview, the Governor said he was so impressed he was going fund five million dollars to the department to upgrade their equipment. The press turned to the Fire Chief and asked “What is the first thing you plan to do with that money?”

The Chief scratched his head and said “I reckon the first thing is gonna be to fix the brakes on that damned truck!”