If You Need a Laugh

By Irene Conlan -

This was yesterday’s article that was supposed to be posted to go with Steve Wilson’s appearance on The Self Improvement Show. However, Cox Cable, “our friend in the digital age,” was doing some work in our area “to improve service” and, while they announced that it would be finished by 7 a.m. it was a long time after that. My Internet access was fully functional sometime in the early afternoon.  It was a great test of my sense of humor and, I know I will think it was funny at some point but I haven’t hit it that point  yet.  Actually, I recovered as soon as I could get on the Net and the interview with Steve fully restored my feeling of well being.

Anyway, I hope the following makes you laugh. Here’s yesterday’s article:

This week we have been running articles about humor and laughter to prepare for today’s Self Improvement Show with Steve Wilson, – a Joyologist and “Cheerman of the Bored.” Steve is a psychologist and an expert in self esteem and will be talking about the importance of laughter and humor in our lives. I think it’s a show everyone can enjoy and benefit from.

So this week to prepare for Steve’s appearance I have spent a good bit of time looking for things that made me laugh. I wanted to see if I could find things that made me laugh when no one else is around because many  people live alone and find their days quiet, lonely and, sometimes empty. I am not alone,  I am never bored and my days are anything but empty— but I don’t often laugh alone. My question was, “If I lived alone and didn’t see anyone else all day long, could I find something that made me laugh out loud?” The answer was “yes.” In fact I had such a great laugh that my son heard me at the other end of the house and came to see what I was up to.

My brand of humor may not be the same as yours but, if you take some time, you can find something that works for you —I can almost guarantee it.

Now you have to realize that I am what you would consider an “elderly lady” so I don’t like humor that’s too blue, I don’t appreciate the “F” word used in every sentence nor comedians/comediennes who have to resort to obscenity to get a laugh. If you like that, that’s your business but it doesn’t make me laugh.

Without depending on other people in the house, some things that DO make me laugh are:

My puppy, Smarty. He does crazy things all day long and is such a loving little guy that I am usually in a mellow mood and ready for a laugh. He sleeps on the loveseat in my office and often, when he wants to get off he gets his front feet on the floor and then just stands there with his whole back end still on the couch. It’s like he doesn’t want to get all the way down until he sees something to get into and can make a real commitment to chewing it up. He is always in search of something new or something new to try and it generally is worth a good laugh.

Jokes in my email. While I don’t get as many jokes as I used to, every day brings a few that are worth a big smile if not a laugh out loud. Because most of my friends are seniors, many of them are about getting old.  Here  is a “senior” one my brother sent me the other day: http://www.youtube.com/embed/Xv1tMioGgXI?rel=0h

YouTube is a treasure trove.  You can find humor related to almost any subject you can think of. You just have to look for it. Here are some I found recently.  The second one is the one that made me laugh out loud all by myself.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CvPkUMRE7yg&feature=player_embedded

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVnJLMf2XZ4&feature=endscreen

Netflix: My favorite comic on Netflix is Demitri Martin because he’s so different from most of them and so creative. But if you search for comedy you will get a wide range to choose from. Find movies and comics that work for you.

My point? You don’t have to sit in your house lonely, depressed and humorless. There is a lot of funny stuff around. If you can read this, you have a computer which opens the door to endless humor if you will just look.

If you need something more, go to PetsMart or your local animal shelter and get a dog or a cat. They will love you tirelessly and keep you entertained for countless hours.

Humor and laughter are necessary ingredients for a longer and happier life. It’s your responsibility to find them for yourself.

About: ireneconlan: Irene Conlan has a master's degree in nursing, with a major in nursing administration and a minor in psychiatric nursing. She taught nursing at Arizona State University, served as Director of Nursing Administration at St. Luke's Hospital and Medical Center in Phoenix and served as Assistant Director of the Arizona Department of Health Services for the Division of Health Care Facilities and Emergency Medical Services. She is also a certified hypnotherapist with a practice in Scottsdale, AZ. She is an avid blogger and manages http://www.theselfimprovementblog.com http://www.theselfesteemblog.com http://www.thepositivepsychologyblog Irene lives in Scottsdale AZ and has two sons and three grandsons. Website: http://theselfimprovementblog.com