Part of my act is meant to shake you up. It looks like I’m being funny, but I’m reminding you of other things. Life is tough, darling. Life is hard. And we better laugh at everything; otherwise, we’re going down the tube.
– American comedian, actress, and television host Joan Rivers was born on this day in 1933 (died 2014).
We could use Joan around to help us laugh these days.
Sure there are lots of people poking fun at Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, and sure the give us plenty of material. But it’s not really funny to think one of them will be president. I’ve said that before.
So, let’s not say it again.
Laughter, as they say, is good medicine. Wasn’t it Readers’ Digest who called it the Best Medicine? Do they still do that? Does Readers’ Digest still exist?
Sometimes laughter is just what we need. Sometimes it’s all we can do. In those times in life that are hard, and absurd, and when we just don’t see the way out, laughter can be exactly what’s needed.
I seem to need laughter a lot these days. But perhaps that’s a story I’ll tell in one of my books.
Did I really just type “one of” my books? I have work to do.
And, I am working on it.
My current writing class is teaching me a lot. A lot of it is about what I don’t know about writing. But, in reality I also know that I’m becoming a better writer.
I may be an old dog. But I can be taught.
In fact, I don’t think we ever should stop learning.
I remember a Dear Abby column from years ago. A woman in her forties was wondering about going to law school (or medical school or something) at her age. Abby’s response was that she could be a fifty year old woman with a law degree, or not.
No, I’m not going to law school.
But I am constantly looking for ways to become a better writer. For ways to become a better marketer of the writing that I do.
Truth is no one is going to do it for me. I have to work at it.
So, for the last eleven months, in addition to writing here and other writing projects, I’ve challenged myself to write at least 1,000 words a day. It started out as 500 then sometime last fall I upped the count. Some days the words are good ones. Most days they’re just stream of consciousness writing.
But I believe a couple of things have happened. I’m becoming more adept at putting words together. And I’m becoming more prolific in writing.
And that’s nothing to laugh about.
Also born on this day in 1940, American singer and actress, Nancy Sinatra.
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