Wednesday, August 5, 2009

FUN

Have you heard the phrase, "What if the Hokey Pokey is what it's all about?"

There is some truth to that. What if FUN is what it's all about? What if playing games and singing songs and dancing around is what it's all about? What if?

Then working your fingers to the bone, accumulating debt and things and being tired and crabby is NOT what it's all about. Then many of us are missing out on a really important part of life. The people having fun are the ones we're attracted to. Deep down don't we all want to be included in the party?

I recently road my bike by a graveyard and saw a grave stone that was prepared for a couple. It had their names and dates of birth engraved on it. It had their children's names on it. It also said, "Proud members of the Fun Bunch." Wow, what a concept. They seem to me to be fully prepared for the end of their lives and fully aware that having fun is what it's all about.

"Live life fully while you're here. Experience everything. Take care of yourself and your friends. Have FUN, be crazy, be weird. Go out and screw up! You're going to anyway, so you might as well enjoy the process." ~Anthony Robbins

I asked my children what was fun to them. A bouncy house. A slip 'n' slide. Fishing. Watching fireworks. Oh, to have a child's eyes (and lack of self-consciousness) when it comes to fun.
I know an adult's idea of fun can be a little different than a child's. Maybe it is the same, just done in a different way. You can dance, but take lessons. You can sing, maybe just in the shower. You can play, it's just not duck, duck, goose. Or maybe it is.

Here is a list I recently made of ways to spark fun. Please choose 3 and do them. Today.

  • Listen to music loud in the car by yourself singing loudly. Roll the windows down. Sing to the people in the car next to you. Use your thumb as a microphone.
  • Play tennis. Especially if you've never played before. Pink balls preferred. By yourself - try to do both sides.
  • Wear shirts with funny sayings or pictures on them.
  • Learn some jokes that really make you laugh. Then try to tell them to as many people as possible. At least until you can do it without laughing. (here's a good one: A pirate walks into a bar and he has a ship's steering wheel attached to the front of his pants. The bartender asks him, "What's up with the steering wheel?' and the pirate answers, "Arrr, it's driving me nuts")
  • Eat a donut. With lots of icky frosting and sprinkles. Or maybe pancakes with sprinkles on them.
  • Dance. Anywhere. Anytime.
  • Bury yourself in the sand at the beach. Bonus points for having kids bury you. Bonus, bonus if they're not your kids.
  • Play video games. Especially simulator ones you get to sit on - like a motorcycle or ATV. Or wii.
  • 3 words: Dance Dance Revolution
  • Go to a music concert. Preferably loud rock or a music festival. Don't forget to crowd surf.
  • Make up new words to songs.
  • Jump in a bouncy house, or on a trampoline. Bonus points for a flip that doesn't land you on your head.
  • Get a pogo stick or a hula hoop.
  • Go on a frog hunt. Bonus points if you catch one and it pees on your hand.
  • Go watch fireworks. Outside in your pajamas, laying on a blanket right underneath where they are being shot off.
The last one we did on Saturday night. Enjoy.