Have you ever heard or used the expression, “If I
weren’t laughing I would be crying?” If
you think about it, laughing and crying are both strong emotions and when we
have an experience, especially one that doesn’t go well, these emotions are
very close together. Some folks believe
that if you are laughing you are not taking things seriously. I’m not sure that this is the case. I think that laughter, like crying is often
used as a way to release the tension that is building up inside of a
person.
Take for example the video I recently viewed
entitled,
“Why We Need Common Core: IChoose C”. This video for me is the perfect example of the statement, “If I weren’t
laughing I would be crying.” When I
first watched it I laughed and found a great deal of humor in the way this very
serious topic was presented. The girl in
the video has been schooled, but she certainly has been educated. Her comment, “I don’t think my public
education prepared me…” is, in my opinion, right on the money. Since my first viewing I’ve probably watched
it another 15 times in different contexts.
Each time I chuckle, but each time I am reminded of how ineffective our
standardized test system has been in preparing our young people for the
world. So the humor in the video
relieves the tension, allows us to acknowledge the point of view, laugh at
ourselves (certainly no one intentionally wanted youth to be unprepared for the
world of college and career), regroup, and figure out a different approach and
path.
 |
| "I Choose C" |
The
ability to find humor in situations is also a way to appreciate the whimsical,
the seemingly unimportant, that will,
like all other experiences, either confirm what we already believe to be true,
adjust our point of view, or provide for us an AHA moment. Humor can certainly bring us to laughter and
help us see things more clearly.
Let us know what you think about humor, “I Choose
C”, or the last seemingly whimsical experience that has impacted your
life.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Let us know what you think...