At first I felt that I was not doing something that I was supposed to; should I be hosting parties? Be more involved in social, governmental or economy events? School, PTA, the band Booster Club, etc. Frankly, I had no desire to be a part of these. A lot of people my age seemed to be attending "Tupperware" or "Pampered Chef" or millions of others of these parties. They didn't seem like parties to me. I felt weird being there and also that I was being coerced into purchasing something that I didn't want, let alone know how to use. I began to search for people that I felt comfortable with, but I could never seem to fit into some "mold" I seemed unaware that I needed to be a part of.
I was raised to be independent, hard-working and responsible. Some of the people my age didn't seem to know what any of those three qualities were. They were married but still received a lot of financial help from their parents. Or they didn't ever want to be married and seemed to party all of the time, seeming to me as a "wondering ghost" of themselves, faking their way, as though they weren't trying to fit in somewhere, when in truth, they were very lost.
Truth be told, I sometimes feel lost even at my age. I still don't know all of the answers to everything. I don't give up though.
My mother lived on a dairy farm most of her young life. My father grew up around gardens and animals, but didn't necessarily farm every day. It's interesting what gets lost within just one generation. I remember going with my mom to a fun "animal ride" with a few of my nephews. She would point out different types of cows and tell me which animal was best for milking, which was best for beef, and so forth. Her knowledge of basic life floored me! She never talked about these things with us growing up. I find the whole farming/ranching life fascinating. My husband and I were talking the other day about how messed up a lot of the people in the USA and other countries would be if we had to all of the sudden know the very basic things of life. Which plants are safe to eat? Why? Why not? Which berries are poisonous, and so forth. We live in a world that keeps striving for further "enlightenment" when in reality, we have a of that already; we just don't care to "go backward" instead of "forward" in our thinking. I've heard the saying, "You can learn a lot from history". True; it seems to keep repeating itself, only other actors and props.
Personally, I like to look for the "happiness moments" during the day. Everyone needs at least one good chuckle. It's amazing what can happen with a smile across your heart.
I came across this the other day. I dare you not to smile!
Who doesn't like a clean, fun comedian? A couple of years ago I was going to be in the kitchen all day so I was rummaging through YouTube and discovered "Jim Gaffigan" on the computer. He had quite a few of his stage shows to watch/listen to. I listed to them all - some a few times! I think I will always remember that day because I felt so joyful!
There are so many benefits to laughter, but I'll share just a few that I found on the Gaiam website:
7 HEALTH BENEFITS OF LAUGHTER
2009-01-01
by E.C. LaMeaux
One of the best feelings in the world is the deep-rooted
belly laugh. It can bring people together and establish amazing connections.
Everything from a slight giggle to a side-splitting guffaw can change the
temperature of a room from chilly unfamiliarity to a warm family-like
atmosphere.
There is already so much to love for laughter that it
seems greedy to look for more, but that’s exactly what researchers Dr. Lee Berk
and Dr. Stanley Tan at the Loma Linda University in California have done. These
two doctors have researched the benefits of laughter and found amazing results.
Get ready to get your giggle on!
1. LOWERS BLOOD
PRESSURE
People who lower their blood pressure, even those who
start at normal levels, will reduce their risk of stroke and heart attack. So
grab the Sunday paper, flip to the funny pages, and enjoy your laughter
medicine.
2. REDUCES STRESS
HORMONE LEVELS
By reducing the level of stress hormones, you’re
simultaneously cutting the anxiety and stress that impacts your body.
Additionally, the reduction of stress hormones may result in higher immune
system performance. Just think: Laughing along as a co-worker tells a funny
joke can relieve some of the day’s stress and help you reap the health benefits
of laughter.
3. WORKS YOUR ABS
One of the benefits of laughter is that it can help you
tone your abs. When you are laughing, the muscles in your stomach expand and
contract, similar to when you intentionally exercise your abs. Meanwhile, the
muscles you are not using to laugh are getting an opportunity to relax. Add
laughter to your ab routine and make getting a toned tummy more enjoyable.
4. IMPROVES
CARDIAC HEALTH
Laughter is a great cardio workout, especially for those
who are incapable of doing other physical activity due to injury or illness. It
gets your heart pumping and burns a similar amount of calories per hour as
walking at a slow to moderate pace. So, laugh your heart into health.
5. BOOSTS T-CELLS
T-cells are specialized immune system cells just waiting
in your body for activation. When you laugh, you activate T-cells that
immediately begin to help you fight off sickness. Next time you feel a cold
coming on, add chuckling to your illness prevention plan.
6. TRIGGERS THE
RELEASE OF ENDORPHINS
Endorphins are the body’s natural painkillers. By
laughing, you can release endorphins, which can help ease chronic pain and make
you feel good all over.
7. PRODUCES A
GENERAL SENSE OF WELL-BEING
Laughter can increase your overall sense of well-being.
Doctors have found that people who have a positive outlook on life tend to
fight diseases better than people who tend to be more negative. So smile,
laugh, and live longer!
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