The fact is, I am amused a lot. Mostly because I do plenty of ridiculous things. I usually don't do them on purpose. They just sort of happen.
Sometimes they happen because of my penchant for the spontaneous. Sometimes they happen because I hate to admit I can't do something well. Not that I fancy myself some sort of Renaissance woman. I don't. I know I can't do everything well. In fact I know I can only do a very few things well. And none of them include math. But, I rarely like to admit that I can't do something...which is pretty ridiculous in and of itself.
As was my recent adventure with a ladder.
I don't like ladders. They scare me. Not only that, but the reason for climbing ladders is to reach high places and high places scare me too. I'm really most comfortable on nice, solid, flat ground because being inordinately klutzy, it is far less likely I'll fall standing on nice, solid, flat ground. It's not impossible, mind you, just less likely. I needed to climb a ladder, however, because I was on a mission.
The school year is winding down and that means my little senior will be graduating soon. As a part of celebrating her life to date, I wanted to find some video recordings of her singing in a number of church plays and performances throughout the years. I don't have any personal copies because, although we have hours and hours of video of our oldest child, and somewhat fewer of our middle child, we have about six minutes of our youngest. In most of that she is sleeping. It doesn't help that the video camera got dropped on her third birthday and we never replaced it. So, I have a lot of memories, but little to show for it.
I'm fairly certain, however, there are videotapes that contain the desired footage stashed somewhere in our church building. The most logical place seemed to be a lofted area up above the baptismal which can only be accessed by a small attached metal ladder, parallel to the wall. My friend, Debbie, suggested we climb up there to see if we could find the videotapes. God knows I didn't want to look like a ninny by admitting my fear of ladders so I closed my eyes and climbed. The next thing I knew, I was, up in the loft scrounging around for old video. Eventually, however, we had exhausted all hope that we'd find what we were looking for which meant we had to leave the lofted area the same way we came up. Via the ladder.
Turns out Debbie is afraid of ladders and heights also.
There we stood, at the edge of the loft, too fearful to look down, trying to figure out how to go backwards on the teeny tiny ladder, without falling to our deaths. Few people are as awkward and clumsy and afraid of heights as I. Debbie might be one of them.
The next several minutes were spent with a variety of Lucy and Ethel attempts which included whimpering, swear words, small shrieks, and a variety of odd bodily contortions. Fortunately nobody else was around to witness the absurdity.
Especially since the loft is only about eight feet high.
We probably could have jumped.
Nevertheless, following our harrowing experience we found ourselves laughing at how ridiculous we had been, fearing for our lives and all, and it made me think of the saying about never ceasing to be amused.
The cute little plaque with the saying makes me happy. Mostly because I provide myself with so much amusement. If I didn't laugh, if I took myself too seriously, I'd just end up dour, and pinched, and miserable. And what is the point in that?
We all know those people. The ones who take themselves way too seriously and don't laugh at their mistakes or own foolishness. The ones who can't look at a situation and find humor even though the humor is right there just itching to be found. I always want to grab those people and tell them to lighten up. Don't they realize how short life is? Don't they know laughter is good for the soul. And the heart. And probably all the other body parts.
Blessed are those who can laugh at themselves, for they shall never cease to be amused.
Today there will probably be a reason.
To laugh.
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