What tickles you?

I dont mean in the way your Uncle Hershey ( well, I had one of those) would tickle you on your ribs 'till you cried out " uncle" or whatever...I usually was in so much pain and embarrassed by... well, those of you reading this know exactly what I mean!

I mean: What tickles you emotionally , and helps make you laugh during the day?

And, do you wake up saying," I want to find the 'funny' today."

Do you look for the"tickle" in the day? Even when you feel emotionally awful?

To tell the truth, I dont either. And I write about this stuff.

During times of depression, that is not the first thing on my mind.

Since I am starting a 100 days of health, I want to be like my best friend X. She's going thru a rough time and my heart goes out to her. She listens to NPR " Car Talk." and " Wait, Wait dont tell me." That is her Vitamin " h' for the day. Its not always the laughter or " humor". She listens to the emotionality of what is going on. And because the emotion or Mirth is what she is listening to... it lifts her emotions and is comforting.

What is your Vit H for the day? Is it watching determined squirrels slide down the birdfeeder pole, coninuously? Perhaps its your grandchild giggling for the first time? I know these are 2 of mine. I listen to Tom Lehrer a lot too.. and kids songs... they make tickle me. more than that, its the sound of genuine happiness that does my body good.

I hope everyone reading this takes a dose of Vit H today... and you can " get your giggle on!'

WOW again!
And to have 2 WOW mornings in a row...well, I wish that for all of you!

Thank you again Sandra( www.reasonablediet.com) and Joanne and all my peeps on the Tuesday call.
Donating $2 to my Uganda Hiv/Clinic trip via your business, Sandra?.. WOW! I think I need a T shirt or sports car with supportive sponsor business stickers...( ok..just dreaming)

Yesterday, I spoke to a fantastic group of Health Career student and staff at Parkland Community college. I put the challenge to them. No worries about raising $1000 dollars... how about raising 1000 BANDAIDS? I think they are going to do it!

Many of you dont know this: I am a Humor Advisor for the Humor Academy via Association for Applied and Therapeutic Humor ( www.aath.org)

Last nite was my first meeting with my group. I raised the question," How many of you were class clowns? Not all of them were. The discussion continued about when you are, " the funny one", you are expected to " be on" all the time. Several of us spoke about people asking" whats wrong?" if our" funny bone' is not in high gear. I have been in that position many times.

Bluntly put, sometimes it sucks to be an extrovert. Especially when( as in the past 7 months) I had to take time to go within and uncover, discover and rediscover parts of me that I gave all sorts of labels to( some not fit to print!).

I know of several of my funny buddies that are going thru tough times and their " recharge" takes longer. The expectations we place on ourselves "to be something we are not" at that time" is a heavy burden to bear.

Doing " funny" on demand is not easy. It's like expecting a Geo Metro ( 16.2 sec going 0-60) to perform like a Porche GTS (4.4 sec for the same). And Yes, I asked my husband about these car references.


I know as a funny person, spontaneously or.. writing material and testing it out... some days I am a Geo Metro, some days I am a Porsche GTS.

I appreciate all the people in my life that have taken a risk to step outside of their perceived selves, all those that have had to take a dose of their own humor medicine, all those that have had hardship foist upon them and ask themselves some very hard questions...you are the people that I take into my heart today.. you are the people that inspire me, you are the people that educate me and you are the people that I take on my journey...whatever I am driving...

I am filled with gratitude....
WOW.. sums it up. My diet support group WOW'd me yesterday.
The image of them supporting my butt, pushing it over the 20lb wall WOW'd me. Then I thought" ewww, they are touching my butt." Yet, the fact that they are willing to help me with my struggle... touch what I admittedly think of as 'ugly', possibly 'smelly'... fills my heart with gratitude....and refilled it today.

And, I ask myself this," How many other times have people, both seen and unseen, thru their prayers and well wishes...helped my proverbial ' smelly butt' over a wall of shame and self loathing.

Many years ago, Alli Ponder told this story of when she was in coma after a car accident.This is the part that has always stayed with me:
Peoples prayers were little stars and they filled and refilled a pitcher. When I needed strength, the pitcher would pour over me and all the prayers would fill me."

Please know that any of you reading these blogs... your well wishes and prayers, your gentle smiles, sly winks or hearty laughs... are all stars in my pitcher.

Hello All Humor Filled, Laughter Lovers and Mirth Medicine People!

Its been awhile since I " blogged" , " posted" or just stopped in to say hello.

Starting Feb 1 I am going to take and start a 100 day health challenge. I will be recording it right here, with humor and grace and a smile on my face!

And what prompted all of this. Well, for the past 7 months I have been on an inner quest for peace from my inner voices of blame and shame. I took a risk to " come apart" for awhile. As an extrovert, this means I was risking the possibility of abandonment. As a human bean, who purports humor, laughter and mirth for healing, I was having to swallow many doses of my own medicine.

As a humorist and " funny lady", exploring shame and blame( which give rise to a lot of great funny material) is not easy. Frustrating my therapist was a weekly occurrence.
I am a story teller... and the therapist would often say, "You are story telling.. How do you FEEEEEEEEl?" I was grateful that she never asked " Would you just get to the point!?!"

Back to my 100 day health challenge. Last week, I mended fences with a family member. I felt like I dropped 20 lbs of emotional weight. I want my body to catch up. And, I want to be in shape ( round is a shape, right?) for my volunteer trek to Kampala, Uganda, Africa ( more on that later)

I have a whole bunch of really awesome women friends via Sandra Ahten's Reasonable Diet (www.reasonablediet.com)Group that want to 100 day journey with me. They are supporting me emotionally, spiritually, financially ( for my volunteer experience) and any way they can.

I am asking any that read this, hold me in the light as I start this healthy journey Feb 1-May 11, a 100 day journey toward health. I would love it if you would walk with me even 1 day(metaphorically speaking... or thru exercise)
Stay tuned for more and thanks..
blessings of laughter and love, deb