Jokes that make our lives lighter
May 13, 2019
One concept about Living the Encouraged Life is your ability to enjoy jokes and encourage others with jokes.
It goes without explaining that we live in a very polarized time. Friendships and lifelong relationships are being tested and sometimes broken because of the heightened political rhetoric. Jokes of the rudest manner seem to live and breathe in this atmosphere. People seem to think that saying “it’s just a joke” is a free pass to saying something rude, offensive, racist, or demeaning to a group of people.
I was schooled and also raised my children regarding jokes that don’t make fun of any person and can even be self-deprecating. I highly prefer self-deprecating jokes and humor. That’s the ability to make fun of yourself, not bashing yourself, yet making fun of your peculiarities. For instance, I consider myself intelligent. I know that means I’m really good with book knowledge and an absolute ding-dong in understanding practical sense things.
I raised my kids to be able to understand that it’s never okay to make fun of something a person can’t change. Skin color, nationality, age, race— the list can go on and on…. It’s anything a person will go to sleep with tonight and wake up with whatever “they are_____” tomorrow morning. My job is to never make a joke about that “thing” because it puts me in a higher position. I automatically see myself as greater and them as lesser in our American social strata. Another rude example would be someone making fun of one of my M.S. symptoms, like my right hand tremor. My self-deprecating joke is that my handwriting is like a Kindergartener. I can make sense of it that way, rather than being made fun of for my inability to do most things with my right hand. Jokes should never bash another person.
Basically, if your words and jokes can’t be put through “the Mom filter” (meaning you know your Mom wouldn’t be okay with you saying what you’re thinking), then it probably shouldn’t exit your brain onto your tongue. Choose to be giving energy to living an encouraged life, not giving oxygen to our polarized culture.
So, this week I want you to enjoy living the encouraged life. Think about someone you admire for their ability to joke and make fun of themselves in a fun way, not in a bashing manner. Write them a quick email, letting them know you appreciate their humor.
To really stretch your growth, try saying one thing funny, not bashing, about yourself this week. And smile….it’s good exercise for your face! Lynn.
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