What, Me Worry?
March 10, 2009, by Christie Healey
I think I tend to be more Alfred E. Neuman than Pollyanna. I like the hefty dose of self-delusion with a side order of mischief. Mad magazine’s iconic celebrity has yet to meet his reality equal, if you don’t count George W. Bush. Actually, I don’t think GW can count.
We are all worrying too much these days. Take a leaf out of Alfred E.’ s book. Lighten up, stop listening to the news, stop wondering if the stock market could go lower, listen to Rush Limbaugh and laugh, laugh, laugh!
If you can’t stop worrying, then at least be selective about the things you are going to grieve over. I heard Oliver Sacks on NPR the other day. He has certain fixation problems, so he decided to reduce his worries. He chose to stop worrying about what he was going to eat. He has the same thing for dinner every day: tabouli and sardines. Presto, no more agonizing, worry reduced. He told a visually exotic tale about when his daily diet was kidneys and his butcher misheard and gave him 22 lbs of the slithering purple things instead of 2 lbs. He made his way through about 15 lbs before developing a lifelong aversion.
Last year I worried about the rabbits in my yard to the point that when I started a conversation with “The bunnies…” good friends secretly made their mobiles ring or needed to urgently visit the bathroom. Watching the rabbits come out as the snow recedes made me gain a new perspective. I should probably be more like those rabbits. It’s been a long cold winter under my deck, yet there they are, thinner, but still coming out every day to look for food and do their hopping exercises. And get ready for spring. My savings are a little thinner than they were last fall. I, on the other hand, still have a muffin top to work on. I’m not worried though, the new swimsuits look very accommodating.
So let’s all leave our tsuris behind and get happy. Make someone laugh every day, even if it’s only you. By the way, I scored a 97.5 on the copyright unit of the Advanced Intellectual Property Law course. Yes, Mum, I know. But, as you would always say “better late than never.” No worries.
March 10th, 2009 at 8:30 am
“…listen to Rush Limbaugh and laugh, laugh, laugh!” Yes, great idea Christie. If I could stomach him I would, since he IS the voice of the dark side. But I do like your attitude. Especially when it comes to swimsuits. Congratulations on your great test score. Bravo!
March 10th, 2009 at 9:26 am
Made me ‘smile out loud’.
Thank you!
Another brilliant essay on Fifty is the new….
March 10th, 2009 at 9:36 am
I try to laugh at Rush too. But he does make me ill and angry when I watch him. (My husband tells me to turn off the kitchen TV when he’s on, because I usually start throwing kitchen utensils at the set…) These are trying times, and it’s good to find ways to laugh!
March 10th, 2009 at 10:07 am
Rush who? And I want to go bathing suit shopping with you, Christie. Thanks for the laugh.
March 10th, 2009 at 11:18 am
I decided never to use his name when referring to the cigar-chomping idiot radio guy so as not to contribute more to his fame. I wish he was funnier. In the meantime, laughing, or finding something to laugh about is great advice. So, a horse walks into a bar one day, and the bartender says, “Why the long face?”
March 10th, 2009 at 2:00 pm
I can’t laugh at Rush Limbaugh. He makes me too angry. Maybe the ability to laugh at him is something I should strive for!
March 11th, 2009 at 6:25 am
I’m with you, Christi. Worry is quite overrated. Leave it at the foot of the cross and party through life! Congrats on your score.
March 11th, 2009 at 6:40 am
I think it was Alan Watts–the guy credited with bringing Zen Buddhism to mainstream America–who once said (and I paraphrase here), “Life gets so worrisome that you either have to laugh or fart.” Isn’t it amazing–with Rush, you can get both…someone so pathetic and angry we can laugh at him, and someone so full of gas that it’s a wonder he hasn’t blown himself up when he lights that cigar he’s always chomping on. (Maybe that’s why he never lights it?)
March 11th, 2009 at 10:38 am
The other night I found myself burying a St. Joseph upside down in a flower pot, facing the front door of a property I want to sell. The Catholic Mother-in-law of a friend of mine says this is a sure fire method for insuring the sale. I say if the fire is not in hell who am I to quibble with the sure fire perversity of some Catholic rituals? The Mother-in-law is in Florida by the way and she says this burying St. Joseph has worked for a number of her Jewish friends trying to sell their houses. The point is there are lots of different and unique ways to combat worry.
This particular one made me giggle to myself. If it works that will be one worry down.
March 11th, 2009 at 9:14 pm
Great post and advise! I heartily endorse the laugh a day requirement. It works for me
March 13th, 2009 at 10:12 am
I’m with you! Turn off the TV (and Rush) with all the bad news and get out and LIVE! Love the post!
March 17th, 2009 at 11:18 am
My mom sent me a ball cap that said “don’t worry be happy” That in itself made me laugh becuase I got my worry gene from her! We both got a laugh!