Yes, Father

Before we get started, it must be said:  I love a good laugh.  I'm not a fan of malice or the overly crude, but honest, good, prodding humor is great.  And, seriously, who doesn't love a good laugh?  It burns calories, it makes you feel good, and it's usually the source of later stories down the road in life.

So, it wouldn't be surprise to note, then, that I appreciate humor, no matter when it was popular.  My parents used to watch the Three Stooges with my brother and me when we were little, and I particularly remember being 12 and watching Bill Cosby's Bill Cosby, Himself with my mom.  I was sick and she was trying to make me feel better.  Instead, I laughed so hard during the dentist skit that I seriously thought I was going to suffocate myself.  I laughed so hard I could not breathe.  No joke.  Couldn't breathe.  It, to me and especially my 12-year-old self, was the funniest thing I'd seen.

We also, now and again, would watch clips (never the full video) of Father Guido Sarducci.  He was a 1970's character created by a comedian. Very stereotypical Italian.  Very funny.  We always watched The Five Minute University because my dad a special sweet spot for it (especially the Spanish part because he was so bad at language!)  Nonetheless, Father Sarducci grew to find a sweet-spot in my heart.  Call it sentimental if you will, but I call it good humor. 

A few days ago, a friend of mine facebook posted Vitum Est Lavorum.  I hadn't seen that one before, but I wish I had.  I lost my mom 5 years ago to cancer, and I would have appreciated the light, comical air something like this would have brought to my otherwise turbulent life.  Even if you're not dealing with a loss, it's still extremely enjoyable, but I think it's something that, post-dealing-with-loss, is even more comical because you completely understand the implications of what he's saying.  It holds a little more water when you can reflect the immediacy of your situation, or reflect on a loss of any kind.  Either way, he certainly made me laugh.

So, when you need a laugh you turn to lots of people.  Sometimes you turn to a friend.  Sometimes you turn to music or a tv show.  Sometimes, though, you turn to Father S.

Re-Establishing Momentum

The school year is upon us!  Like many of us either currently are experiencing or just remember from childhood, August is associate with back to school sales, stuffed backpacks, tired kids, and a change in focus.  Life goes from being a series of whimsical, fly-by-your pants, led-by-desire, do-what-your-heart-feels-like days to regimented, scheduled, and non-stop.  School beckons, and we go (or went!) willingly or not.

And it's the first few days that are the toughest.  As Newton's First Law of motion so precisely states, "An object in motion tends to stay in motion, and an object at rest tends to stay at rest," we find we are just more evidence of that statement.  (And before you go correcting me, I do know that is not the original verbiage of the law!  It's just the way we learned it back in high school to make it stick).

Remember that most of us, come summer time, do (or did!) much less regimented activity than we did during the school year.  We may be equally busy, but the "business" tends to be driven more by desire than by need.  Therefore, it seems to take a different type of energy, for by the 2nd and 3rd days back at school we are wiped!  We are exhausted, and we are tired.  We want to sleep in all over again, even if it has only been 2 days!

But, like the law suggests, by the end of the first week or so we are back in business.  Our energy level has acquired more stamina, we can accomplish more during the day, and we are backed to being used to living on a schedule.  And although the initial change of pace was a challenge, the momentum built in that week period changes the nature of our state.  We are now in motion.  We are now expecting to stay in that state until June.

Today's Truths

In no particular order, and *disclaimer* not necessarily "fact," here are my truths for today:

*  Genuinely smiling can help to instantly lift your mood
*  Driving with the air on your face and the windows down to put wind in your hair is extremely refreshing!
*  Busy people get more done.
*  The best feeling is realizing you have no regrets for those things you "didn't" do.
*  A good book can make reality seem distant
*  A good song can make the reality of the moment 1000% better than it was before the song started
*  Coffee at a coffee house always tastes better, just like a salad you didn't make always tastes better.
*  Being in the presence of an animal in need or at a shelter can make the problems you face seem instantly unimportant.
*  Random phone calls from people you love, even if you couldn't answer, make the "genuinely smiling" part happen much faster.