Stand up comedians
Funny vs Fun
You know the one. The kid in your class who could make everyone laugh or stifle a giggle with their high jinx. They got some subversive attention and sometimes grew up to be famous comedians. Their stand-up routine was honed on the school yards and classrooms of middle school. The teachers knew who they were and occasionally tried to quash the fun but even they were in on what was going on. The routines were often based on the truthfully hysterical stuff that goes on in school. The only time that it wasn’t appreciated is when it involved the physical or mental foibles of another student. Those routines belonged to the bullies. Their minor tyranny was felt by the masses at one time or another. Few kids get out of school without feeling the sting of the seemingly funny comment made about them by a bully. Truthfully, the bullies were not comedians. They were searching for their own normalcy due to whatever plague they were dealing with in life. Nowadays we say hurt people hurt people.
What kind of Fun
Deciding what is fun for each of us is a singular project. Knowing what is fun allows for the opposite saying of healed people heal people. There are clues from childhood, but life is long enough to pick up a few new fun times along the way. It is entirely possible not to know what really means fun to you until you see or hear it in adulthood. Few kids embrace the choice of bonsai trimming or scuba diving until they see it in real life as adults. There are hundreds of opportunities in adulthood to find the fun. You never know when the fun is going to show its face. This means that it is important to stay open to new activities for that just in case opportunity. It is reasonable to presume that most folks did not know that they would love sky diving until they tried it the first time. But once the spark is ignited, it requires follow through. That is the harder part. Starting over at anything brings up those beginner anxieties. Humans like to be good at stuff. But think back to that first egg you fried on your own. It was still tasty even if you were not a fully trained chef.
Apply your kid brain
It helps to step back when you think you need to quickly show off how good you are at something. If you can remember to laugh and have fun along the way you will experience the real secret of fun. It is always in the doing. Whether you are doing at the Olympic level or falling off a skateboard repeatedly, you will begin to judge your own progress for what it is. Time served. This can be applied to any aspect of fun. If you join the gym to start taking pickleball classes, be the complete newbie and have fun. If you take a wine and paint class with your bestie and realize that you have enjoyed it enough to want to try it again, pick up some brushes and go for it. If you finally want to tackle a dinner party and make the food, grab two understandable recipes and make them three times. Develop your fun. Enjoy the progress. Laugh at yourself and have a good time on your own.
Fun Self
This is the best part. You might find a side of yourself that is fun. Or funny. Maybe you should be a standup comedian. Practice a couple of jokes and try them out over and over until you match them with a great story and figure out better timing. When you find more of yourself in this journey, it might not be the accountant in you. It might be that unexpected person no one knows yet. If you start out on your own, it is for your own enjoyment. When you share it with others, it changes. Best of all, you can have many different facets of your fun side. Give them all away when you can. We all need a little more of you to help us smile.
Think about a modern-day bully. They aren’t known for their fun side. Do you have someone you know who is already on their fun journey?
