Happy is Healthy

After writing about herbs and healthy foods and beauty remedies that won't cause cancer, it's easy to lose sight of the little things which affect our mood (and health) each day. Couple this with a sometimes overwhelming sense of, "Am I living my best life?" "Am I doing enough for others?" and things can get pretty intense, pretty quickly. In learning about the foodie world and planning my canning for the upcoming fall (I was at one time overwhelmed with what I might do with all my bumper crops - assuming I don't kill them by August) I began to think of donations to my local food bank. If you live in DC, DC Central Kitchen is a great food bank which offers meal distribution programs, culinary job training and even food recycling. As I learn more and more how blessed I am to have access to fresh and healthy food, I would like to see more people feel the same kind of delight in access to food as I have experienced. However, it is not just food that keeps us healthy. Getting a good night's rest, sufficient exercise and avoiding stress all play a role in maintaining our sense of well being. However, in our busy lives, it's easy to forget one of natures best remedies... laughter.

I love to laugh... just like the song in Mary Poppins, "loud and long and clear." Laughter for me has been an integral part of life. It's what I look for in friends and entertainment; a shared sense of humor that is off beat. As an adult, I still watch shows like Family Guy and South Park due to their abilities to have me "rolling in the aisles." Forget wine or anything else, when I want to relax, I reach for the remote. And just like food, I find comedy is best when shared. Not only do I like to laugh but I like to make others laugh as well. My dad says we're happiest when we do for others so I've been attempting to give a chuckle here and there in order to deliver an unexpected amount of joy. It's not saving the world it's doing what I can, with who I am, with where I'm at. (I think Groucho Marx said that).

As a teacher, I'm no stranger to the process of experimentation. I like to see if theories work when applied to everyday situations. However, my comedic theories have taken a strange turn. My finance loves the Monty Python sketch featuring the Ministry of Silly Walks (above). While I'm not much of a Monty Python fan (as I referenced earlier, I like my humor as I like my martinis - dirty) I do walk a lot and wondered what would happen if I "silly walked" at a crosswalk. Would I get a good response? Would I get odd stares? Probably both but I figured it was worth a shot to make someone (and myself) laugh. As you can imagine, hilarity ensued...

Getting ready to "silly walk".

You can read about the many health benefits of laughter here and for those of you who may remember, I referenced a blog entitled Feed Me Dearly a few weeks ago. If you gain good vibes from having a laugh, send them her way.