25 June 2009
Goofy, Wacky and Happy! …Are You?
Posted by Robin Easton under: Hobnobbin' with Robin .
LAUGH EVERY DAY: Do you bring humor into your every day relationships? If not, now is the time to start. Be proactive! Don’t wait for others to make you laugh. Step out of your comfort zone and reach out to the world with laughter. Don’t be afraid of making a fool of yourself. I got news for you; we’re ALL making fools of ourselves everyday in ways we don’t even see. Just look at the state of the planet. In light of that you might as well CHOOSE to be goofy and wacky. If you ain’t laughing you ain’t livin’. (This video dedicated to my goofy, courageous and deeply thoughtful sweetheart, a man who makes me laugh every single day.)
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This post is dedicated to my dear friend David of VIRGINIA BREEZE who inspired me to write this piece after he wrote: “WHY DID THE CHICKEN CROSS THE ROAD”. In this warm endearing post he speaks of his beautiful wife Beth, there Love, nonsensical jokes and the beauty to be found in imperfection.
Although I tend to write about life-insights as that is what comes to me most times, at home I am very wacky in a warm, goofy, playful way. Okay! Sometimes I’m downright outrageously hysterical. I talk in funny voices, animate with goofy dances and facial expressions. I could do a whole stand up routine…that is if people could understand me through my snorting and braying. I’m like one of these little kids who unabashedly makes a ridiculous joke and laughs their head off whether anyone else laughs or not.
Although Life led me down a deeply a soul-searching path I have always LOVED warm humor. Not the kind where you remember jokes you read, or the kind where you sit and watch stand up comics on TV, not that those can’t be funny….BUT they are, for me, inactive humor. I like the kind of humor that is playful and engages those around me. I can only ruminate spirituality and philosophy for so long. Then I need to throw wide the windows of my soul and let the sun and wind erase the stale library-thoughts of my mind. I do this by either stepping into nature or I choose to laugh. For me laughter is like carrying around your own “sunshine”. Did you know that people have cured themselves of cancer and other serious illnesses simply by focusing on laughter. We underestimate it’s potent power to heal and sooth.
The trick with laughter is not to wait for it to happen “to you”, but to be proactive and CREATE LAUGHTER! If you are waiting for it to happen you are missing the thrill of engaging others in one of the most fundamental languages on Earth…laughter. For many people creating humor doesn’t come easily, just as crying doesn’t come easily for others. If this is the case for you, then you must be brave and experiment. Try goofy voices, playful ways of walking, dressing, acting, and see what trips your trigger. Find your funny bone. Dare to make a fool of yourself. Try not to get so caught up in being professional in your life that you grow old and lose your sense of interactive play. If you’ve ever watched kids in the 4 – 7 year old range, they throw humor out there simply to try it on for size, to see what feels funny to them and what brings a reaction of laughter from others. I remember doing this as a kid. What I said didn’t have to make sense. It still doesn’t. It’s important not to crush a child’s goofy attempts to be funny. In fact it’s important to encourage it. Later in life if they run into hard or stressful times that humor just may help them survive the strain….it literally may save their lives if they become seriously ill.
Laughter is a choice we make.
Much of what we take so seriously can also be laughed at.
So I encourage you to start laughing today.
Love,
Robin
This Site: © Robin Easton
Website: http://www.nakedineden.com
Blog: http://nakedineden.com/nakedinedenblog/
16 Comments so far...
Jonathan - Advanced Life Skills Says:
25 June 2009 at 12:47 pm.
Hi Robin, it’s fun to see your goofy side. Laughter may be something we choose sometimes. But watching this I didn’t really have a choice. I laughed through the whole thing. So, in addition to everything else, I appreciate that laughter is highly contagious. The more we spread it around, the happier we will be. Thank you for the fun.
Robin Replies
Thank you Jonathan, I am touched that you appreciated my goofy side because it is “quite” goofy. It’s interesting being me (LOL!) because I can be very serious and philosophical and I cry openly and easily AND I laugh through it all equally as easily. My husband says I CRAUGH because I even laugh when I am in the throws of intense tears. I laugh because sometimes my own drama is just…so…so…dramatic!! I’m one of these people that can look at things from many perspectives…and allow them all to comfortably exist at once. It’s all live and all amazing. Thank you for your kind words my friend.
Tammy/Cricket Says:
25 June 2009 at 12:56 pm.
Oh, I am sitting here in such laughter. I miss these times so much! The times to share with a person in love. You can see your happiness. This is so wonderful Robin. I could not imagine you with anyone but someone that would keep you smiling from ear to ear.
Mitchell (14) has now reached the serious stage of his life, but Dylan(8) can still just let himself go with laughter without a clue as to who is around him. This is truly how we should all be. What does it matter. Just laugh.
Thank you for sharing this side of you. I love the quote, “No pause in their stride!” Ah, American men. They can take some of the blame. Us nutty women are not always the root cause of it all.
Hugs to Robin,
Tammy
(just this morning I noticed my laugh lines are getting deeper…and I am proud they are there)
Robin Replies
Tammy you are so observant in say that I could not be with someone who didn’t have a sense of humor. My husband is the wackiest person I’ve ever known. And since being with him I’ve realized how absolutely CRUCIAL humor is to me, how crucial it is in meeting stress, pain, etc., how crucial it is for EVERYDAY living. The funny thing is that my husband is a college professor and an astound teacher. His students LOVE him in droves. And he has been given more awards than you could poke a stick at, and he gets asked to lecture at the Smithsonian and other prestigious places, he gets asked to be interviewed in newspapers, magazines, radio and so forth and he is SO humble that you would never even know. Never. He has his priorities very very straight. He is a simple compassionate, warm, funny and deeply caring/thoughtful human being. —-Also this video was obviously done spontaneously. I only knew that I was going to talk about the wacky things my sweetie does. So later when listening and editing the video and I heard “No pause in their stride!” I totally lost it. I didn’t remember having said that. Oh dear. —I am so touched about your laugh lines. Good for YOU, TAMMY!!! I have huge laugh lines and I too love them all. I can’t imagine having a face lift that erases the imprint of my life. Not that I judge anyone who does that; I don’t. I just like seeing who I am. Hugs to you Tammy.
gene Says:
25 June 2009 at 2:38 pm.
wow, this was one serious post filled with laughter, thank you for the video, you’re laughter is so contagious!! And it’s good! What a perfect way to end my day! it’s 11:40pm here now 
I sometimes too make the funny voices, and funny faces especially in the morning, makes the day just that much more easier!!
Hope you doing well, we are in Full Winter here, after the Solstice it suddenly became much colder than previous days, and we are still headed for some much colder weather, so with that said I have some bad news for you!! You’re winter is on it’s way!! LOL
Keep Well! Keep Laughing!!
Robin Replies
YIPPEEEE!! It’s my old friend “HE who is NOT a SHE”!! It is sooooo heartwarming to see you here. You are right; as I look over this post the writing is serious and the video is zany!! LOL!! I am so glad you enjoyed the video and that it ended your day in a warm happy way. I love when that happens. I also am tickled pink that you make funny face and talk in funny voices; that makes me feel so happy knowing that. As I thought about it, I realized that I also do it a lot in the morning as it really does help jump start my day. Makes a huge difference, almost like oiling the machinery, gets it going more smoothly. In fact I highly recommend it to my other friends who visit here. Gene, you are really onto something. —-Now! As to the solstice and the “W” word….this is all I have to say…..LA LA LA LA LA LA LA (said with fingers in my ears). I am NOT listening to you!!!!!! LALALALALALALALA!! Laughing my face off.
David Says:
25 June 2009 at 3:36 pm.
Thank you Robin for sharing some of my thoughts with your readers. I truly appreciate your kindness and your sense of humor. Humor is so helpful in a relationship. It may even be indicator of the health of a relationship.
Keep up the good work. And be sure and let your neighbors know what’s really going on!
Robin Replies
Hi David, You are so welcome. You have inspired and encouraged me immensely, so many times, and I am very thankful for your presence. —RE: Humor. I sometimes here people say, “Oh all the humor’s gone out of our relationship”, as if the person speaking has no control over creating humor. I’ve learned that humor isn’t something we simply “react” to. It’s a lot like LOVE, in that it’s something we can actively create. And must create for ourselves and others. Humor is a lot like forgiveness in that it’s easy to forgive when the “crime” is minor, but much harder when the “crime” is more serious. Humor is easy to experience when things are lighthearted, times are easy and stress free, but harder to experience when times are stressful, painful, etc. However, I believe it is during stressful times that we need humor more than ever. And it may not happen naturally, at least not at first. Those are the times we must be proactive and seek out and create our own humor. Thank you for inspiring me dear David.
Stephen - Rat Race Trap Says:
25 June 2009 at 7:27 pm.
Robin, you are a GOOF BALL! I do bring humor into many of my relationships, but not too much with my wife. Around my friends and colleagues I’m pretty goofy, but at home I’m much more serious. I don’t really know why that is and I never really thought about it. Your article has inspired me to do something about that.
Thanks so much!
Robin Replies
Hi Stephen, How in the world could you possibly think that I am a GOOF BALL?!!! LOL!! Okay, okay, I do have a slightly warped sense of humor. Okay, okay, I’m an off the charts GOOF BALL!! LOL!! I’ve not heard that term in years and it made me laugh out loud. —Also, you HAVE to start CREATING humor with your wife. This is doctor’s orders! It will blow your mind how it affects the whole relationship. Even if she looks at you like you’ve gone batty, so what! Do it anyway and it will start to rub off on her. Since you already know how to be goofy and are goofy with your friends, you can take the lead. We goof balls (notice I included YOU in that statement) can teach others how to laugh and be goofy simply by being ourselves around the people we love. I want a report in a months time. Let me know how many times you’ve made your wife laugh! The gauntlet has been thrown down. LOL!! Can he do it???!!!
Lance Says:
25 June 2009 at 8:27 pm.
Hi Robin,
Your laugh is contagious!! I love it – if I were at your house, I know I’d be rolling on the floor!
Laughter is so, so good for us. What I’m noticing with my kids, especially the older two (14 and 12) is that they’re good with the goofy side of me at home or in some far-away place. Bring them around their friends, and they want nothing to do with the goofiness. I know it’s their age – and they’re going through this whole social dynamic during these teen years. And then I look at my younger son (10) and he is very much still good with goofy whenever. And it’s so much fun. Actually, it’s fun with the older two also (they just don’t play along as much!). Much like Tammy – I’m seeing the same shift she is as our kids grow more “serious”. I’m not ready for that!!
And this all reminds me of a story from about five years ago. Halloween. And I was the leader of our cub scout group. So, I gave them the choice of what I should dress for for the school Halloween party – they chose girl scout. So…I showed up at school that evening in a dress, a pink wig, pink flip flops, and lipstick (thanks to my wife for help with getting me dressed!). You know what – putting on lipstick is difficult!!! Anyway, people (kids and adults) had such a riot with this getup I had on! In fact, people still ask me about it yet.. Of course, this is a one-time example of being goofy to an extreme. I love your point here, Robin – that we should bring laughter in more rather than less. I’m going to try and be even more “wacko”! (my kids will thank me some day!!!)
Thanks so much for the great laughs this evening!
Robin Replies
Lance, I love your: “I’m going to try and be even more “wacko”" This coming from a man that I have always sensed was already so totally warmly wacko…..I mean a man who already loves humor. Aaah, we all just love you Lance. Your heart is ALWAYS in the right place and always reaching toward the goodness of Life. I love that about you. I’ve been so touched by your stories of playing with your kids. And yes, it has to be so hard to watch them go through the change of not being as goofy around others. Little kids are so great that way. I didn’t have children but I did help raise my three younger brothers when my mom was seriously ill for quite an extended period. My youngest brother, Mark, who you many know on facebook, if not you should add him he is great. Anyway, when he was 2 – 8 or so he was a great joy in my life. He would tell you stories of his older sisters picking on him, I’m sure. LOL!!! Regardless, he was the cutest little tyke, always happy and bubbling over with laughter and games and chasings and tickles and laughter. An amazing disposition. I LOVED to play with him. We would laugh our guts out until we ached. But I remember as he got older feeling sad because he was changing and pulling away, going through the social dynamic you describe here. What is so wild is that we both went our ways and traveled all over and lived our lives, more often than not out of touch, and then we came full circle. Now he is very much in my life and is one of my closest dearest friends. We talk, laugh, share, etc. He is STILL that goofy kid. I laugh around him until I pee my pants. I think your kids will one day do the same, after they have found their place in the world and settled into a strong sense of who they are. They will look back on all the laughter and things they did with good old dad and want to return to those times in some fashion. You have and continue to give them such a positive and life-filled base. I am really really proud of you and your wife Lance. You are a great force in the world. Never doubt it.
Ophelia Rising Says:
25 June 2009 at 8:47 pm.
Robin my dear, thank you for reminding me about how laughter elevates us to that place, that point where we lose ourselves in ourselves. We DO choose, and I choose laughter, and happiness. I choose to be happy.
I love you SO much, my dear friend. xooxoxoxoxo
Robin Replies
Oh dear dear Mary, I am touched. You can say so little and convey your whole heart. Thank you for being so. I also really like what you say here about “losing ourselves in ourselves”. You’ve really hit the nail on the head. That is the magic of laughter we forget out troubles, we release stress and during those few moments of laughter the whole world is at peace, is pure sunshine, is safe, is magical, is complete LOVE. I really feel that a good belly laugh or even a warm chuckle is like pure warm liquid love. It flows out of us an into the universe healing all it touches. And I see in you all the time, no matter you feel, that you choose Life, laughter and love. It is what makes you so powerful, like a shinning magnet. It doesn’t mean that we don’t have sad, depressed or even stressed feelings, it just means that we choose to consciously embrace it all. We choose to embrace Life with our heart open. I love you for that, Mary, and so very much.
Marc Says:
25 June 2009 at 10:02 pm.
HaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHa
Thank you dear Robin for sharing such a wonderful, wacky, contagious laugh with us. Dawne and I are both grinning like idiots with you.
Cheers, Marc
Robin Replies
Dear Marc and Dawne, I am sooooooooo touched that you both watched this video and even more so that you appreciated this part of me. The image I have in my mind of you sitting there watching my “tom foolery” and grinning is very precious to me. I’m deeply honored that you told me. I also love the HAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHA. I thought I was the only one who did that. I laughed out loud over that. It had kindred written all over it. Hugs and cheers to you both and thank you for the kind words.
starflight/marcel lemieux Says:
25 June 2009 at 11:52 pm.
What a cute and funny video…i laugh as seeing a bit of myself….so cool..i have a deep voice and a face that can be very serious..but i,m like a kid inside ready to have fun..i use that with the boys at the shop…some think there is nothing to do with me because i de-dramatized..(undo) all sort of events with laughter..i like to send the message to folks that life is a fun experience..not to take things so seriously..i improvise, laugh, have fun..a day without laughter is like a day without sunshine..actually even when it rains..i tell folks the earth is getting ionized and refresh…that blows some way out..ah! you are a poet or other comments..but they do in the long run look at things another way…laughter is a big plus in anyone,s personality..ask anyone who is in love…when i watch a movie with my son (when he visit,s)..sometimes we just blow in laughter..that scene..that short line that was said….laughter is a cure for so many things..and it warms the heart and brings a sense of relief and peace to many…you know Robin, it takes a bit of will and guts to be oneself and unique and funny and real..(forget the comments, remarks, or past events)..have fun, this is it…..thanks for this fun blog….peace
Robin Replies
Oh Marcel, this is such a truly beautiful and buoyant comment. So wise. I read it several times to take in the full power of it. I felt sooooooo happy and warm inside reading how you are with the boys at the shop. I remember how you told me in another comment here how you worked in a factory and you bring joy and happiness and love to every day that you live. I see this in you. It is to the point that everything you do, touch or connect with turns to beauty. As if you are so full of Life and Love that you are compelled to share it. I am glad because, as you say, laughter can undo or ease all kinds of drama. My sweetheart taught me this. He is Mohawk Indian and he said that on the reservation, life was often hard (he only lived there sometimes, not full time) and they laughed at even the hardest of things. I love to be around people who can “lighten” others by seeing the humor in things. Sometimes people want to hang onto their pain and use it as shield against letting Life and Love in, a shield against growth. Marcel, you are SUCH a joy. You are a “humble healer”. That is how I ALWAYS see you. You move through the world at peace with yourself and Life and you spread joy, peace and love all along your path. For you it really is not the goal or “somewhere to be” or “something to DO” that you aim for. It is the exultant joy of simply being alive in a world where you love and touch those all around you. You thrive on soothing others, healing others, loving others. You are truly enjoying the journey not the outcome. I relate to this in a very deep way. Little means more to me than the journey. —Also, I agree that it can take guts and courage to be one’s unique self, really be one’s self fully. It is something I think about every day, “Am I really being myself? How can I be more of Robin?” Because as you say, “This is it.” Thank you for touching my life with your beautiful spirit.
Randy Says:
26 June 2009 at 6:12 am.
Robin, I think you would make a great network news anchor. You could get the country to lighten up about the financial crisis, the health care debacle, etc., etc.
Robin Replies
LOLOLOLOL!!!! Oh Randy, this comment made my erupt into laughter! I have to honestly, shamelessly, gleefully admit that I would be in my element as a news anchor. The problem is they would fire me within a day as I’d be waaaay too radical and goofy and tell it like it is. Ooooooh, but that would be one juicy hour though!! LOL!! I’d talk really fast and get a lot in before they took me off the air. LOLOLOL!!! I can just hear them screaming, “Off the air, take her OFF THE AIR……..NOW!!!!” Thanks for making ME laugh Randy.
Oscar - freestyle mind Says:
27 June 2009 at 1:01 am.
Guess what to do when you are depressed? Laugh! It’s hard to be depressed when you laugh.
Robin Replies
Welcome Oscar, thank you for stopping in. Yes, it hard to do much else but laugh when we are really laughing. It’s actually quite marvelous. I think the trick for some people is to learn to let go of whatever they are hanging onto and let themselves go with the urge to laugh. I have seen people fighting back laughter just so they could hang onto their anger or hurt. We hurt ourselves most when we do that. We rob ourselves of healing soothing joy. Thank you for your sharing here.
robert a.mohylsky Says:
27 June 2009 at 1:42 am.
Glad I found you tonight!…Humor…throwing the t.v. out…nature…remembering rule 62 and what is was like to be a 4-7 year human ‘being’!
Thanks for the Blessings!
RAM
Hello Robert, this is a delightful summation you gave of my site. I chuckled and LOVED it. AND I was doubly touched that you appreciated it. Thank you for the blessings and taking the time to stop in and share. I enjoyed it.
Plastic Mancunian Says:
28 June 2009 at 5:18 am.
Hi Robin,
I’ve done some research on goofiness and I can indeed confirm that I am goofy – just like you. I double checked and demanded a recount and, guess what? It confirmed my goofiness.
I can make people laugh without really trying, which can be a little frustrating when I am trying to be serious. Even when I rant about the state of the world, people laugh – maybe because of my choice of phrase.
Anyway, I agree with your philosophy about laughing every day. I make it a priority to make at least one other person laugh as well. Usually it is Mrs PM (after all, she’s sees the state of my hair after a night’s sleep – that’s enough to make anybody laugh). I usually manage – it’s not that difficult really. Goofiness and whackiness help of course.
Stay goofy!
Cheers
PM
Robin Replies
LOLOL!! Yes, my dear PM, I can validate for you that you are INDEED goofy. I could actually HEAVILY validate this. Although I am so glad to hear that it was “officially” validated. Let there be no doubt in the minds of the doubters. That’s what I say! LOL!! —I can also validate that your attempts at serious rants have me rolling on the floor in stitches. If I could rant the way YOU rant I would rant every single post. See, you rant and get away with it; the whole house comes down with laughter. I rant and the whole house just comes CRASHING down. I am left pulling myself from the rubble, where I suspect you just walk away unscathed, the hero, everyone cheering and laughing. —As to the state of your hair upon waking……LOLOLOLOLOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Cheers my WONDERFULLY wacky friend. Yippeee!
Dorothy Stahlnecker Says:
28 June 2009 at 10:08 am.
Robin I so agree with you that laughter is an important part of life sometimes we watch the old Lucy shows, along with Raymond just to make sure we remember the old funny programs on television which made you laugh, and not get depressed with too much reality.
I try very hard to be happy and laugh at work; I find my day is better and my attitude is more up beat. And your right, kids crack me up. My six year old grandson is so funny; this past weekend he told me he saw the movie Hotel for dogs, and one of the dogs liked to hump..well I said alright now and then he offered the fact that he knew what that meant, his older sister had told him. Once again I tried not to laugh in front of him however, I was hysterical inside as those brown eyes of his were so serious he is such a joy. Children can be such a great part of your life if people would only open the doors and windows and let them in.
Blessings,
a great post….
Dorothy from grammology
grammology.com
Robin Replies
Dear Dorothy, I don’t have a TV by choice, but a few years back I bought a DVD of all the old I Love Lucy shows and I LOVED them. If I ever watch a movie my favorite is comedy. I just go away with a light heart and my life still intact. I like that. —-I was howling reading about your grandson. That is SUCH a good story. I literally could picture this whole scene and the funniest part was seeing you trying not to laugh. It would be almost impossible. It reminded me of a little girl who giggled and said to her mom that she’d seen a couple “doing the wild thing”, and her mother’s eyes got really big and mortified, as she causally asked, “What is the wild thing?” Her granddaughter giggled and said, “You know!! That thing adults do in the bedroom.” And her mother’s eyes got bigger and she choked out (trying to work out what her kid KNEW or had SEEN), “What thing in the bedroom?” The little four year old girl gave an exasperated sigh, put her hand on her hip and said, “Oh Mom! Don’t you know anything? They were kissing!) and then she started to giggle uproariously!! Like she knew more than that her mother. LOL!!! Needless to say the Mom was giddy with relief!! Thank you my friend for such a JOYOUS sharing.
Lisleman Says:
28 June 2009 at 4:09 pm.
good post good message
A week ago I had the “do it again” experience with my grandson. We were playing in the lake (still cold water in Lake Michigan) and he was not wanting to get splashed but yet wanting me to try to splash him. Lots of laughs and “do it again” going on.
thanks
Robin Replies
Dear Lisleman, this little story is so precious!!!! I just love it and could even picture it in my mind. This is what I love about kids and why I so enjoy playing with them. You are so blessed to have a grandson who wants to play with you. It is pure joy. It is these moments that keep us alive and young. I am touched that you shared this. Thank you.
ZuzannaM Says:
28 June 2009 at 9:43 pm.
“If taking vitamins does not keep you healthy enough, try more laughter: The most wasted of all days is that on which one has not laughed. “
Nicolas-Sebastien Chamfort
Laughter reduces pain and allows us to tolerate discomfort… Using humour in life, it makes us less stressed. Reading a comedy book or watching funny video helps maintain a dose of a good laughter. Getting back to your video, and how you tried to say goodbye, waving at your husband it certainly made me laugh…You were way too funny and having that water hose in your hand… I am sure you both had a wonderful time doing the goofy things because you both know each other well. However, for those neighbours who were watching you the perception of being goofy and funny could look a little different. Unless the neighbours’ knew, you well and knew that, you both can be funny at times. I found that having a great time miss now because I am away from my work place. We did have a great time talking with friends sharing jokes and laughter on our coffee breaks or during lunchtime but since I am not, miss it lots.
Dear Robin, thank you for sharing a dose of laughter. Someone said, when smiling requires fewer wrinkles on a face while frown adds more wrinkles, because we are using more muscles to frown then to laugh… We shall strive to maintain the dose of laughter in our life each day.
Thank you for the wonderful presentation!
Zuzanna
