“Achhoo!”
“Bless you.”
“Thank you!”
She said. To herself. Out loud.
She, meaning… me.
These days I talk to myself a whole lot more, and it has great benefits. Not only by getting the last word, but practicing good manners at the same time. In these chaotic times solitude + pandemic, = lots of time to think. Yet, unlike Jack and his all work and no play makes him a dull boy, less work and distant play make ways to find the funny.
I live alone, am unmarried (hashtag panicked), and in these times there’s only so much binging one can do to shift our headspace. Just trying to navigate the day to day while anxieties and pains rise, a challenge. It may feel close to impossible these days to think: “That’s hilarious!” Believe me, I’ve wondered how the heck do I teach comedy when there is so much pain existing right now? Well, in 50 years, I’ve had a hand in my own tales, (thankfully not as a Handmaid), but from the book of life. And although I’m not a biological mom, I’ve been given the nickname “Comedy Mama” by my students these past two decades by teaching tools, tips and techniques on how to find the funny in everyday life. Even amidst the chaos. How? Because I’ve Fallen and I CAN get up. And so can you.
While it may feel like Groundhog’s Day these past seven months: waking up, walking like a zombie to the kitchen for coffee, and glancing at the news with fear and anticipation, before going down into the rabbit hole sometimes shifting one thing in your routine, can impact the rest of your day. So, change things up. Grab your dog (if you don’t have one, a husband, roommate, girlfriend, boyfriend, or poptart will do). Get outside and walk around the block. Change up your space. You may stumble on something that will ignite a whole new perspective and experience. Everything we experience is from our senses, primary tools for finding the funny.
SENSE #1: SEE
What we see is a window into greater experience, a larger perspective, and effect into the world. No two things are ever the same. So look for one new thing each morning for one week. Notice something you had not noticed before. Then look at something you have from a whole new perspective by turning it upside down, or from a different angle.
Activity:
Write down what you see from that new perspective. Was there something you noticed that you may have been surprising? Different? How did it effect you? Are there new ways of seeing things we may think are ordinary or mundane into something completely different?
When my dog Luna and I went for a walk the other day, she relieved herself on a church lawn. Cleaning it up, I muttered “Holy Sh*t”.. which became the basis for a chuckle during our walk back home, and on stage.
SENSE #2: HEAR
Research shows that sound connects us automatically to heightened emotion. During road trips, we play our favorite music while cruising down the highway, or tear up while scrolling through Tik Tok seeing pet videos accompanied by a sad sea of violins.
“Music is the one time when my head isn’t filled with briefs and opinions, all that is put on a shelf, and I just enjoy, or I’m thinking about the performance.” Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
To think a baby crying in a maternity ward vs. a middle seat during a five hour flight, provides two completely different backdrops. And, a great basis for finding material.
Activity:
Start your day playing a song that brings you joy. Do one task at your computer while playing a song you enjoy. This can ignite a completely different mindset to the day, and spark up a distant memory to a smile in the now.
Now, write down lyrics to a song you like. Associate those lyrics into a different context:
When I’m out shopping I’ll sing loudly: “Please don’t stand so close to me.”
Works every time.
SENSE #3: SMELL
How many times have you looked at the expiration date on the milk carton, and despite what it says, you still open it up and take a whiff? And then go for a second round, even if it’s rancid?
Smells are a diving board into a plethora of experiences, and a wide open net for finding the funny.
Activity:
Write down one of your favorite smells, and one you deplore. What are your memories associated by them? What would your “Quarantine Cologne” be? Mine’s simple. Soap. Remembering when I last showered, a whole different story.
SENSE #4: TASTE:
I’ve devoured an average of one sheet cake a week. Food is a great comfort during times of crisis. Yet, in years past, any kind of food left a challenging taste. Are you a foodie? Do you find in times of stress you have a go to you reach for at the market? How many diets have you tried during the pandemic? What new recipes have you tried or stayed away from? The next time you write that list of groceries you want to feast on, there are ways of creating a menu of funnies along the way.
Activity: Write down an item you got at the market.
Now use the name of it in a different context. Free write what comes to mind for two minutes.
ie: As a pet name
ie: As a headline
Pet name: “It’s true what they say, 2 Buck Chuck is man’s best friend.”
Headline: “I can’t believe it’s not butter”. “Well, I can’t believe it’s not better!”
What items do you avoid at the market? Mine are avocados and Charmin. Because I’m way too scared to squeeze them.
Ever notice when we come home from grocery shopping, the minute after we put all the items away and unwind, we end up ordering out?
SENSE #5: TOUCH
Everyday we feel. Feelings, whether external or internal, trigger emotional reactions. Different physical objects have various textures that also evoke a range of response. For example: glue vs jelly, slime vs play dough, snow vs sand. My favorite are those bubble packaging sheets. I have more satisfaction popping a sheet of those, than I do opening the package underneath.
Activity:
Take an object you use everyday. Find a different way of using it.By making something different, it opens up creativity, silliness, and a home run to finding the funny. I made a mask out of my dog’s poopie bag.
Worked great, just be sure it’s empty.
Stay safe, and remember to laugh. It’s the spirit immunity boost.