...a Slugville of my own making...

 

Some days I live in a “Slugville” of my own making and it is really sort of enjoyable. I pad around the house or wherever – content but not exceptionally motivated to do much of anything.  Recently when spending time in Slugville, I was reading a short column entitled “What to Do in APRIL” The suggestions included things like a severe warning to be aware of pandemic-savvy identity theft and how to avoid all-too-common Zoom meeting mistakes like standing up when you have only dressed the top part if your body. (Who does that?). Particularly mind provoking were suggestions on how to grow your own herbal tea while at the same time using garlic to boost your health.  Oh – April is also National Poetry Month.  BUT -- more importantly -- April is National Humor month! (That section begins with a “Laugh a little” suggestion and ends with websites for puns and hoaxes, etc.)

Now scuffing around in Slugville and reading that kind of wisdom is okay once in a while.  It’s restorative for me and it balances “things” out.  Other days though, I am up and alive and ready to go. And – related to the laughter suggestion mentioned above -- one thing that I especially love about those “other” days is the potential for laughter – maybe because laughter usually involves more interaction with real people. I like real people – well – I like some of them.  There is absolutely nothing like a good, hardy laugh – especially at something that pops up unexpectedly like the time my 10-year-old granddaughter was explaining to me that she felt it was her obligation to be the annoying little sister from time to time as it is an expected behavior indicated in the younger sibling's "job description".  Yep… she did say that.  Then there was the time, just a couple of years ago, when two of my friends and I were trying unsuccessfully to apply cheap false eyelashes in front of the same mirror at the same time. You had to be there to appreciate the full stomach hurting hilarity of that. Seriously though -- unexpected laughter is, for me, a deep joyfulness. Laughter is, perhaps ironically, a most serious thing.

Simply put – I love to laugh. Although I have been known to enjoy my own jokes, I don’t usually find myself to be particularly funny – but - I so appreciate funniness in others for sure. Luckily -- I am blessed with two extremely funny children.  They married people who are also extremely funny.  It is no surprise to me that their children, my grandchildren, can easily make me laugh. Is this trait hereditary? Anyway -- our times together are often a bit of a laugh fest – at least off and on.  It’s fun.  The bursts of laughter sometimes come from things like comments made by a grandchild at the dinner table – the “out of the mouth of babes” type of comment.  Or – there is the laughter induced by an outrageous meme of some sort. Shared memes are prevalent and popular these days  (especially in my family) --  wonderful… brilliant… true, and surprisingly, sometimes painfully, accurate... not to mention socially unacceptable at times  -- which makes them even funnier. (Who thinks of them?)  And… I must mention the laughter inducing group texting “thing” that my children inflict on me -- all too often.  I do admit that it is lovely to be included but … I sometimes participate in sleep texting mode and then laugh at everything the next morning.  (I never could get my kids to go to bed  -- especially my son. I just tucked them in at a socially acceptable time and hoped for the best.  I must say they turned out very well indeed in spite of that and the fact that I am still not sure that my son ever sleeps or has ever slept.) Back to the present though -- aren’t adult children wonderful?  It is heavenly to hang around with them and especially relaxing to listen and be able to say something like, “Oh my… you will have to let me know what you decided to do about that.  That’s a tough one for sure.”  Yes, I am a retired person -- in all realms.  Well -- retired most of the time.  Back to laughter though… 

Sometimes old sayings hang around for a reason and that reason is that they are true – for all times and for all people everywhere.  “Laughter is the best medicine.”  Actually, I read one other time while in Slugville, that a good laugh really does strengthen your immune system, lessen aches and pains and protects you from the damaging effects of stress.  See – living in Slugville once in a while is not a bad thing.  You learn stuff sometimes. Really. I do think that people create their own unique escape havens.  Sometimes they are called Slugville. We need them these days. 

Happy April 1, 2021. No joke....