*My apologies for the delays in posting this week. Our computer has been monopolized by others my household this week, making me feel like the little piggie just trying to nestle in to Mama but who keeps getting shut out. Serenity now! Anyone who would love to help rectify this situation by graciously purchasing me a lovely laptop (as my birthday is in one short month) would be on the receiving end of much gratitude from me for a good long time. Not to mention, the receiving end of on-time posts :)
This week, I’ve been hooked on TED talks. Are you familiar with TED (www.ted.com)? I hope so. TED stands for Technology Entertainment Design and their tag line is “Ideas Worth Spreading”. They couldn’t be more right with that one. They have guest speakers on all sorts of topics (hence the Tech/Entertain/Design), which are completely and totally inspiring and range from the funny to the informative. You watch a few of these and it makes you realize how many people out there really are thinking and doing so many utterly cool things. It’s very uplifting, too, since in your daily rounds you might lose a little faith in humanity here and there based on some of the wackado driving stunts or odd human moments you witness. TED is the antidote to that. Your faith in humanity-and it’s creativeness, smarts and ingenuity-will be restored in an instant.
If I find a need to watch the evening news or CNN because I’ve been a bit out of the loop, I try then to follow it with a TED talk. It balances things. Sort of like when my husband and I watch an extremely scary or heart-wrenching movie on Netflix…the ones that you know will be resulting in either nightmares or the urge to take a shower? We always follow those with a few minutes of Comedy Central or the Jon Stewart Show. Sets things right. Helps you dust off. Yin to the yang.
As for the TED talks, the “funny” talks usually catch my eye first off, as I’m just a big ol’ sucker for a good laugh and honestly, what a great way to spend a few minutes. I’m trying though, much like with my book reading experiment for this year, to watch talks (funny word combination-watch talks) that are on subjects that I would not necessarily gravitate towards. Branch out. Go out on a limb. That’s where the fruit it…isn’t that what Mark Twain said?
With the following talk that I stumbled on this week, improve comedy is done in a rather unique way. All about shared experiences and how they are heightened when they are, well, shared. One of my favorite quotes and one that I painted on a plaque for a dear friend of mine is by Victor Borge….”Laughter is the shortest distance between two people.” How true that is. And wonderfully so. To share something, especially something like laughter, forms bonds.
Enjoy the absurdity. Enjoy the message. Then do…share.
