It’s been difficult deciding on a follow up post to being carried up a mountain- it’s a tough act to follow. I thought I would share something else that happened while we were away.
I have a really hard time getting along with people who can’t laugh at the little things and those who don’t get sarcasm. I’m an admitted “serious-shamer” and have no patience for those who are easily offended. If hearing that hurts your feelings, I don’t know what to tell you because I’m not sorry.
I’ve found that having a sense of humor can be a savior in many situations. I may not be super smart but I have been gifted with a great sense of humor and the ability to make cheesy jokes and snarky comebacks at all times. Most importantly, I am able to laugh at myself - at least most of the time.
Being in my situation - or any uncomfortable situation means you can’t take things too seriously. Maybe that’s just how *I* feel, but I’m usually right so just go along with it. It makes total sense that I married someone with an equally dark sense of humor.
While on vacation we decided to go on a family snorkeling trip. Our youngest son was a little nervous about the shark situation in the ocean. While we were in the car on our way to the marina, my husband assured him he didn’t have to worry because, “mommy doesn’t use her legs anyway so we can just hold her out, legs first, and use her to keep away the sharks. They’ll just tear off a leg and leave us alone.”
My whole family found this hilarious - as did I. I mean, for someone with no sense of humor this might sound completely crazy and offensive, but really, how can you NOT laugh? Being able to laugh at yourself brings light to things that could otherwise be serious and scary. It’s all about perspective.
Would I really want to be shark bait? Obviously not, but we continued laughing and joking at MY expense - and that’s okay. You have to be able to see the bright side. That’s what life is all about. Sometimes it sucks. Bad things happen. Things don’t go as expected,
BUT YOU HAVE TO MAKE THE BEST OF IT.
Guess what? Being paralyzed is serious fucking business. It’s life changing on all sorts of levels but if I sat home and cried about it everyday I would miss out on so many amazing things. If I whined about not being able to snorkel because I can’t use my legs, I wouldn’t have been on that boat or swimming next to sea turtles. I wouldn’t even have had the CHANCE to offer my legs to a great white to protect my family.
Did I laugh at myself day one when I woke up in the hospital? I don’t know, I was on a lot of drugs, but probably not. But I do remember laughing a few days later. I was brought up that way. Sitting around feeling sorry for myself wasn’t really an option - and that was a good thing. THE BEST THING.
Life isn’t always easy, but it can be so much better if you look at things in a different light. Find the humor whenever you can and remember: “If you can’t change your circumstance, change your perspective.”
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