Do you learn anything from a goofy teacher? When I first drew this cartoon, I thought about how goofiness and whimsy made teaching fun.
The best days I had when teaching were when I was having fun with the class and so were they. In the process, I was teaching them something without the students realizing it.
The worst days I had as a large group teacher were when I took myself too seriously. Maybe I was having a bad day or week. Instead of laughing at myself, I thought too much about myself.
I let pride get in the way. I cared too much about how I looked. As a result, I didn’t have a good time… and neither did the students.
When it gets right down to it, which one are you? Are you an optimist or pessimist? Do you say the glass is half empty, half full, or has life dumped the contents all over you?
Have you ever experienced the ire of someone who just wants to stay in a bad mood? Boy, I have! I’ve tried to tell a few jokes, act silly, and even encourage them to join along. Usually, it goes horribly wrong. In fact, I’ve learned the best way to make a pessimist feel better is to allow them to get you down. They aren’t happy until they make you miserable. Misery loves company, right?
Erma Bombeck was born 95 years ago today in 1927. She was a writer that had a great wit and style. One of her quotes goes right to why it is important to have a sense of humor.
“When humor goes, there goes civilization.” Erma Bombeck
Yes, I just quoted myself. No, I don’t think I’m that important. On the contrary, the nice thing about quoting yourself is that it is easy to verify the source!
The Healing Power of Humor
Humor is important because it can break the tension in a situation. It can bring healing when we are able to see there is something in a tragedy that we can laugh about. When we feel stuck by a malady, or by circumstances out of our control, humor has great power to ease the blow and be a healing balm.
I may not know what your situation is or what you have experienced. In fact, I may not have had as challenging of a situation as you have had. But one thing we can all agree on is that we have all experienced tragedy, heartache, and situations that have broken other people.
How do some go one while others break under the pressure? I have observed that those with strong faith and a strong sense of humor can make it while others cannot.
Humor is not some frivolous act. It can get us through a lot. As Erma said, humor is important because civilization needs it to survive. We need it. I am going for the trifecta and adding a third quote for today.
“Humor is a prelude to faith, and laughter is the beginning of prayer.”
Today is Harpo Marx’s birthday. He was born on November 23, 1888. He’s the Marx brother who never spoke during their films. So it’s quite a delight for me to have a quote for him about marrying a good person.
By Ralph F. Stitt – This image is available from the United States Library of Congress’s Prints and Photographs division under the digital ID cph.3c26207. Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1629215
“Harpo, she’s a lovely person. She deserves a good husband. Marry her before she finds one.”
Harpo Marx
On this week of Thanksgiving, I am thankful I married a good person. For one, she has made me a better person. Not only that, she is a born leader and someone with a caring heart. Plus, she is the closest thing I’ve seen to a superwoman balanced with a heart for God and people.
Therefore, like Harpo Marx, I am glad I married her before she found a good husband. You may want to pity her. The poor woman gets annoyed when I run around the house in a curly, blonde wig and only communicate with a bicycle horn. That’s what happens when you let a former vaudevillian influence you.
On November 4, 1879, a humorist and cowboy philosopher was born in Oklahoma, Indian Territory. He began his show business career as a trick roper, ended up in Vaudeville, movies, the newspapers, and radio. It wasn’t a bad career for a cowboy!
When I was in high school, a graphic artist-teacher introduced me to his humor. He thought I could relate to his wit and the way he could turn a phrase. Though he was right, it didn’t help my social standing much. Nothing stood out like a sore thumb more than an Indiana teen in the nineteen-eighties who was into Will Rogers! Throw in my love for Marx Brothers movies and I was an odd duck!
Will Rogers in Filmplay Journal, January 1922 (Public Domain)
Will Rogers is worth remembering because his humor was not only witty but was for the most part kind. He didn’t have to tear somebody down to make a point. He could laugh at himself and shine a light on the absurdity of culture and politics. And he could make you think before you realized it.
The worst thing that happens to you may be the best thing for you if you don’t let it get the best of you.
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