Monday, March 12, 2012

Motivational Monday


NOT LIVING IN FEAR IS A GREAT GIFT BECAUSE 
CERTAINLY THESE DAYS WE DO TOO MUCH OF IT. 
AND DO YOU KNOW WHAT I LIKE ABOUT COMEDY? 
YOU CAN'T LAUGH AND BE AFRAID 
AT THE SAME TIME - OF ANYTHING. 
IF YOU'RE LAUGHING, I DEFY YOU TO BE AFRAID.
(Stephen Colbert)

If you've read (pretty much) anything I've ever written, including the occasional blog post, you would know that I tend to dwell in the dark crevices of the human heart, in the shifty shadows of the mind. It's where my imagination lives, squatting in an old storage facility that I swear is packed with units full of creatures, heinous acts and furry, ferocious thoughts.

But every once in awhile, I manage to open a window in that dank place. I breathe fresh air, I feel the sun on my skin. And...I laugh. I flip through my "Calvin and Hobbes" books. I watch a funny/lighter movie, like "Music and Lyrics." I watch old episodes of "Seinfeld" and "The Big Bang Theory." I watch new comedies like "The Middle" and "Modern Family" and "Raising Hope."

And then I'm okay to crawl back inside my warehouse of doom. Why? Because, I know that when it gets too much, all I have to do is look down the throat of the darkness that's ready to swallow me whole, and, to quote Sheldon from "The Big Bang Theory" shout...

BA-ZINGA! 

I'm smiling already.

8 comments:

  1. Oh, how I adore Stephen Colbert. He's hilarious.
    I'd say I'm a happy person, but my dark sense of humor can throw people off. Sometimes I say something stupid-funny just to remind them I'm not a psychopath.

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  2. This post made me smile because I'm a lot like you - writing about the darkest parts of our souls. But we all have to laugh. For me it's programmes like The Big Bang Theory, Frasier, Death Valley.

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  3. Emily, did you see the bit about Colbert and Maurice Sendak and children's books? Hilarious! :)

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  4. Ellie, I knew there'd be some kindred spirits out there. :)

    And those old episodes of "Frasier" are an absolute hoot.

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  5. Hi Madeline,
    I'm pretty much the same. Much of my writing is dark. That's why it's so refreshing when a bit of humor creeps in to my writing and I can make people laugh.
    Donna

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  6. Donna, your sense of humor definitely comes across in your writing - you Erma Bombeck Writing Contest winner you! :)

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  7. We writers are kind of like split-personalities, don't you think?

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