| The positive and healing power of humor cannot be | | | | the engine running and the headlights on! WHAT TO |
| measured! Humor helps to reduce stress, anxiety, and | | | | DO? She paced around the car, and couldn't think of |
| tension and that's why I use humor to get out of | | | | anything to do, except to break one of the windows to |
| embarrassing situations, and there have been plenty in | | | | get in! But, she didn't want to do that, because her |
| my life! I've eaten plenty of "crow," and have gotten | | | | husband would probably kill her (or worse), for doing |
| plenty of "egg on my face" too!STOP; LOOK AND | | | | something stupid like this! It was cold outside and she |
| LISTEN! That's the advice I give people if they want to | | | | had to think of something FAST!She looked down the |
| get more humor into their lives. You have to "stop and | | | | highway, and noticed there were store lights less than |
| smell the roses," pay attention to the things around you; | | | | a mile down the highway, maybe a gas station or |
| and you have to be a good listener. People ask me | | | | convenience store, she hoped! (this was before cell |
| where I get my ideas and humor, and the answer is | | | | phones) So, she decided the only thing she could do, |
| always the same: around the home; around the work | | | | was to start walking to use the phone. She figured it |
| place, and out in the streets, etc. I have two examples | | | | would take her about 15 minutes to walk to the store |
| of embarrassing moments I will share with you, and the | | | | and call her husband to come and get her, so she she |
| first one involves being a good listener.My ex-wife had | | | | started walking.A few minutes after she left the scene, |
| a great sense of humor, but she was not a very funny | | | | a police officer stopped at her car to check things out! |
| person most of the time. She rarely came up with | | | | What he found was sure interesting. An abandoned |
| anything funny, or if she told a joke, she would usually | | | | car with the engine running; the doors were locked and |
| screw it up! That's fine...I can't fault her for that! I screw | | | | the headlights were on! What was the officer to |
| up most of my jokes, too! But, she shined when she | | | | think...foul play, perhaps? The officer looked all around |
| told me the following story about what her receptionist | | | | the area, to see if he could see anybody around, but |
| did at work one day. And, she picked up on this bit of | | | | there was nobody. So, he called for help for other units |
| humor because she was LISTENING! When she told | | | | to join in on a search!Meanwhile (back at the ranch), or |
| me this story, I almost fell over backwards!Human | | | | at the store where Michelle had walked to, she arrived |
| ServicesThe state Department of Human Services | | | | and called her husband on the phone. From the phone |
| (New Mexico), which handles child abuse cases, was | | | | booth she was calling from, she looked back up the |
| quite busy on this particular Monday morning. Clients | | | | highway, and noticed flashing lights near her car! The |
| and attorneys were waiting in the reception area, and | | | | worry set in right away, that something had happened |
| several of the children were in the nursery, and the | | | | to her car! She told her husband that she would meet |
| telephones were ringing off the hook!The receptionist | | | | him at the car, which was less than a mile north of the |
| had only been on the job for about a week, and as in | | | | convenience store.Worried... Michelle was in a hurry-up |
| any new job, she was still trying to find her way | | | | mode to get back to her car, after seeing the flashing |
| around, etc. As the morning wore on, the office scene | | | | lights! As she walked faster and faster toward her car, |
| continued to be quite hectic! And, by mid-morning, | | | | she noticed more flashing lights, and could hear dogs |
| things became a little dizzying for her, as she tried to | | | | barking off in the distance, and she didn't know what to |
| take care of everyone's needs.About noon | | | | think! She then noticed a low flying helicopter with a |
| time...looking a bit drained and overwhelmed with it all, | | | | spotlight shining all over the place. "Who or what could |
| she was overheard to answer the telephone, "Good | | | | they be looking for," she thought to herself!Huffing and |
| morning...Human Cervixes...may I help you?"* * *Another | | | | puffing, she continued down the highway, and she |
| embarrassing incident was told to me by my wife, who | | | | knew something was not right where she left the car! |
| had a friend named Michelle, and the story goes | | | | As she got closer, there were more flashing lights; |
| something like this.Stranded!It was about 9:00 in the | | | | traffic backed up; the sound of barking dogs became |
| evening, on a cold December night, and Michelle was | | | | louder; the helicopter flying low overhead...what could |
| on her way home from attending a meeting at school. | | | | be wrong?After a few minutes, she finally reached the |
| She was driving on the outskirts of town where she | | | | scene, and as she lumbered across the |
| lived, when she noticed and felt something was not | | | | highway...huffing and puffing...she went up to the first |
| right with the front end of the car! She didn't know if a | | | | police officer she saw and said, "Hello, officer...my |
| tire was going to blow out or just what the problem | | | | name is Michelle, and that's my car parked over there. I |
| was, etc.So, she pulled off the highway to take a look. | | | | locked myself out; left the engine running and the |
| She got out of the car and went around to the | | | | headlights on and went for help. Is there anything |
| passenger side to check things out and she saw | | | | wrong?* * *Life's embarrassing moments! We all |
| nothing unusual. So, she went back to get into the car | | | | suffer from them! If you have an embarrassing incident |
| to continue on her way home. There was only one | | | | happen to you, try to capture it on paper or on film. As |
| problem. SHE LOCKED HERSELF OUT OF THE | | | | the experts say, having the ability to laugh at ourselves, |
| CAR! OOPS! Michelle had a big problem! She also left | | | | at all the crazy things we all do, CAN BE HEALTHY! |