We Have Never Experienced Anything Like This Before

We Have Never Experienced Anything Like This Before

Ellen hasn't killed me - yet.  Monday marks two weeks we have be self-quarantined. I have a feeling we have eight or more weeks to go - UGH!!!!!! We haven't seen our friends for two weeks and may not see them until this is over - phone calls just don't cut it.  

We Have Never Experienced Anything Like This Before. 

Even though we're retired, we were still going out of the house most of the time. I miss going to the gym and shopping. Ellen and I miss going to breakfast on the weekends and out to dinner two to three days a week. We both miss our friends at our bar. 

We Have Never Experienced Anything Like This Before.

I can't imagine what it's like to have to be quarantined at home with young kids that can't go to school for so many weeks. I can't imagine what it's like to have financial worries because of this situation. I can't imagine what it's like to lose your job because of no fault of you own or anybody else. I can't imagine what it's like to worry about toilet paper.

We Have Never Experienced Anything Like This Before

Some think that with couples being home all day long that we will have a baby boom after this is over. I'm more concerned that many more people will get depressed and very unhappy if this goes on for many months. The fact is, the more we worry the more depressed we will get. Who could blame us if we worry?

We Have Never Experienced Anything Like This Before

I have to remind myself that this will be over in the NEAR future. I have to remind myself that three months is not a lifetime. I have to remind myself that America and other Countries will come out of this at least as good as we were or better when it's over.

Is there any good news? I believe so. 

We will have a vaccine and next year's flu season will be milder than many other years, because we now know how to protect ourselves. Hospitals and Doctors will be well equipped to handle this Virus and others that may come, because the two trillion dollars will supply them with the means to deal with something like this in the future. We will know now that something like this can happen and we will never get caught off guard and unprepared again. 

We Will Never Experience Anything Like This Again

To me, the good news is:

We Will Never Have To Worry About Toilet Paper Ever Again

The Virus

The Virus

First, I hope all of my readers throughout the eleven countries that read my blogs are in good health. 

In all my years I have never been involved in the disruption this Virus has had on me and so many others. Currently, my wife and I are staying in our house. We take a walk every day for about an hour, but other than that, we are finding things to keep us busy while staying indoors. It's not just our choice, there isn't any place to go - everything is closed. Amazon, Costco, Target and Walmart are our on-line friends.

I don't know about you, but I'm planning on life as we currently know it, to be this way until the summer. That's four to five months from now - UGH! However, placing blame is anti-productive. Getting angry or frustrated is anti-productive. Being scared, being depressed or thinking the world is going to end is bad for your health. Believing you're going to get through this in a few months is good for your health.

Financially this is a very bad situation for many, many people. However, if we all take care of our health and do the things the scientists are telling us to do, we will recover and come back strong.

I suggest, instead of watching negative news all day, call or video call the people who make you happy. Take this time to do some of the things you felt you never had the time to do. Forget your diet or other things you do that you really don't like doing, and nurture yourself. By the summer everything will be back to normal.

We are a people that have gone through many hard times and come out the other end as good or better. As hard as it might be;

Now Is The Time To Love Life Even More Than Before

Cause Someday Never Comes

Cause Someday Never Comes

I can count on both hands the number of people, who know that I have published five books, say that Someday they will write a book. I know that will never happen Cause Someday Never Comes. How many times have YOU said I'm going to do this or that Someday? YOU know that's not true Cause Someday Never Comes. 

When the hell IS Someday? I say, Someday is a day a person chooses to make them feel better. Someday is a day that a person wants to do something special or interesting or something they always wanted to do. The reality is, they know deep down that Someday Will Never Come, but it sure feels good to say it.

I challenged myself to commit to retiring at 62. I challenged myself to commit to writing my first book. I challenged myself to commit to doing a stand-up lecture at UCLA. I didn't say to anyone that Someday I'll do those things. I said I will do those things on a specific date in time. I believe I accomplished those things because I didn't fantasize that I would do those things Someday - Cause Someday Never Comes.

It's nice to dream. It's nice to fantasize. It's great to know the thing(s) you really want to do and say it out loud to yourself and others. If saying those things helps get you through life then go for it. However, how many of us feel disappointed at ourselves:

Cause Someday Never Comes.

Why Do We Laugh When Someone Falls Down

Why Do We Laugh When Someone Falls Down

Monkeys laugh their asses off when another Monkey falls down. I guess, Humans get it from the Monkeys. Old time comedy movies (i.e. Charles Chaplin) and Vaudeville shows always have skits where someone falls down and it gets big laughs. Jerry Lewis always got laughs from falling down.

Our brain has evolved from Jesters in Roman times. Seeing the Jesters fall down and especially if they hurt themselves, made the Romans laugh out loud. Allen Funt of Candid Camera made a living on the TV show by getting us to laugh at people smashing into things, falling down, falling off high places, etc. etc. Me and my Grandmother's favorite "The Three Stogies" had us peeing in our pants by beating the shit our of each other.

Today we don't laugh so easily when someone we know falls and gets hurt (politically correct). Because of that there aren't many of those shows left. Now, we laugh at butt jokes and fart jokes. A huge laugh will always happen when someone gets a pie in the face (can you spell Soupy Sales).

Sooo, why did the brain from higher species and Humans, evolve to laugh at those stupid things? Many theories exist:

"Reacting with laughter when we see someone fall down might just naturally be in our brains. Some neurologists suggest the presence of mirror neurons — neurons that fire inside an observer’s brain that mirror those of someone else performing an action — could make us feel as if we are the ones that are falling or acting silly. Our brains recreate the brain activity of the person who’s actually falling and provoke us to laugh."

"The more psychological distance from publically humiliating situations we have, the more likely we are to laugh out loud. In a 2010 study, psychologist Peter McGraw at the University of Colorado explains seeing others getting hurt is funny when the viewer doesn’t feel empathy for the victim. The guys on shows like Jackass always get hurt, yet this is highly comedic because we distance ourselves from them and don’t empathize with their shenanigans. Meanwhile, if we know the victim, these misfortunes aren't at all funny. Here, closeness increases feelings of threat and insecurity because we simply become too close for comfort."

My theory is that the stress of living (especially in the world today) requires the brain to get some relief. Laughing is a fabulous release. Laughter is the elixir of a good life. If the brain ran out of laughter;

We All Would Be Taking Prozac