I don't do many Meta diaries, but lately I've been working on regaining my own sense of harmony, regaining my perspective, and trying very hard to turn away from my own sense of apathy and cynicism.
Often this takes the necessary time to regain my soul, working in my gardens, digging down deep into the wonderful smell of the earth, and as a pantheist I so appreciate how this restores my soul in these troubled times.
Often times, when I dig into the earth, and build something new such as the four new wild rose bushes and two stunning Blue hydrangeas (Endless Summer is the variety), once again, I found myself fully restored and I was also led back to this dairy, of how to embrace and recall those in my life, that reminded me how important is for in our mental health, to take the the same about of time to laugh. Not just as these great comedians I've mentioned, but also at ourselves.
In these troubled times, if is very difficult to remember that happiness in our lives must become a habit that we must work at. In fact, it is my belief that this is not different from going to the gym, taking a walk, and regaining our own sense of sanity to balance our lives and our souls, and of course taking the necessary time and effort to work our own own personal relationships with our significant others, our friends and our own family members. In other words: self care will pay you back and must be paid attention to. It is so easy for us to forget how to do that, and not be swallowed up hole by what our nation is going trough these days.
As I am a baby boomer, brought up in the 1950, 60's 70's and 80's I learned one hard truth: No one gets out this life alive, but the quality of our lives depends upon the gift of balance and 'stepping away from the fire,' on a daily basis. It is easy to forget, but if we allow ourselves sucked in daily by the MSM we are simply allowing ourselves with full permission to be sucked up into the 'black hole of negativism, that perpetuates what is called a our own willingness to buy into the downward spiral of our own lives, and I've been working on that lately, because I know I need to.
I loved this video I found:
This older woman was so funny and honest, that I just got such a kick out of her.
So what I wanted to do in this diary is to highlight a top 10 list of comedians who are so damn honest and brilliant and funny, that I love so much. I honor these people, because I happen to know what it takes in the 'industry of film making' to write a a great screenplay, and the work it takes to get that movie/story actually produced to it's total fruition. It is a one a million chance, to get your own screenplay off the ground, but still these great great gifted people in our nation need to be honored and to remind us to: just how healthy it is to laugh, which in fact has been medically proven to be essentially so important to our overall health.
As Hal Croasman said so well:
'Dying is easy, comedy is hard.'.
So this is my own top 10 list of the people I love as comedians, who just are so brilliant and have spent their entire lives, fully committed to just doing what they were born to do with the great gifts they were given to help us laugh. Bless them all. I hope that you will add your own favorites to my list, and find a few moments to laugh and have some 'rest time,' from what is going on now in the world. Best to you all.
1. George Carlin, for his brilliant and hysterical insights into humanity and for having the guts to tell the truth about our own government while at the same time, maintain that exquisite balance between how insane it all is, and just makes me fall down laughing.
2. Bill Hicks. OMG. What else can I say:
3. Bill Murray. (Before he started pretending to stretch out and get all serious on our asses). Memo to Bill: Stick to your gift, and that is why you are so deeply loved. One of my favorites: 'What About Bob,' and the amazing synergy between Richard Dreyfuss and Bill Murray. Total perfection if there is such a thing:
4. Chris Rock, who just fucking rocks and is so blatantly honest and just hysterical.
Right on Chris, carry on. The Big Drug companies rule our nation, but hey, let's not go there.
5. The late great Jonathan Winters, who some of you might not know, but boy was he ever insane and deeply talented. Utube did not have his best work, so this is the best I could do. The most horrifying truth of this video it is so visionary considering what today, what we are hearing about our own FAA, to find their overworked pilots and Traffic Controllers all deeply overworked and deeply worn out. We can thank the Republican God, President Ronald Reagan for that move.
6. Richard Pryor. A great new honest leader that led an honest discussion that I am so thankful for, what a beautiful man all the way around. Plus he made me fall down laughing, and was brave enough to led the way for so many amazing other AA people in our nation. Courageous, brave, and a full blow 100 percent talent on my top list:
7. The late great, and too soon gone, Ms. Gilda Radner from the amazing original show of SNL. This was a difficult video to find on Utube as I loved most of her amazing work, but my all time favorites were; The Judy Miller Show (where she plays a very young girl finding her own self up in bedroom, where she creates her own reality with amazing and hysterical moments, that reminded me (and I think most young girls) of my own rare and treasured moments as a young girl to try to work all the 'shit out in my own brain' that I so related to as a creative experience in my own life, that just rang so true to me. And I cannot fail to mention the great job she did with Roseanne Roseannadanna, and Emily Litela characters. Just such an amazing talent and gift to all of us.
8. Whoopi Goldberg. She is not just a great, great comedian, but she is also a wonderful actress, and I adored her in that great movie: The Color Purple. Also she is a strong political activist and was probably one of the best Oscar Hosts ever, besides Billy Crystal. So talented, all the way around. I deeply admire her talent and respect her views. Unfortunately since Utube is has been totally trashed lately, I they have now disabled her amazing performances by her at the Oscars, but still, this is the Whoopi I've always loved, so down to earth and what a courageous woman. So talented. How fortunate we are in this nation to have her in our presence. Me thinks she was too outspoken for the Hollywood elite, but that does not surprise me at all. I've learned the hard way: the Industry might as well be called: Swimming With the Sharks, and Whoopi got quickly gobbled up for her righteous views.
9. Mel Brooks and all the great movies he has given us, who has given us all a great legacy of great hystercal films: My favorite was the original 'Producers' with the great Zero Mostel and Gene Wilder. My other favorites by him was Young Frankenstein, and Mel Brooks always did an amazing job of gathering certain actors as great ensanble groups over and over again, such as the Madeline Kahn, Harvey Korman, Cloriss Leachman, and others, in both films and in High Anxiety and Young Frankenstein. Below are two of my most favorite scenes from the opening of the original Producers and Young Frankenstein, the latter with Gene Hackman and Peter Boyle. Brilliant casting and great work that Mel Brooks spent his entire lifetime as did his actors in creating moments that will live on forever to remind us all to laugh.
10. And sadly, I wanted to mention Richard Jeni who ended his own life a few years ago, in a very tragic way but always made me laugh at myself for my own hypocrisy that I hate to admit. But he was very funny and the real deal:
Like I said, I would welcome you all to add your own favorites to this diary and some videos if you would be so kind.
And now there is actually tons of medical and scientific proof on the web to support the very theory of just how important laughter is in our own lives:
Now comes hard new evidence that laughter helps your blood vessels function better. It acts on the inner lining of blood vessels, called the endothelium, causing vessels to relax and expand, increasing blood flow. In other words, it's good for your heart and brain, two organs that require the steady flow of oxygen carried in the blood.
At this year's meeting of the American College of Cardiology, Michael Miller, M.D., of the UniNow versity of Maryland reported that in a study of 20 healthy people, provoking laughter did as much good for their arteries as aerobic activity. He doesn't recommend that you laugh and not exercise. But he does advise that you try to laugh on a regular basis. The endothelium, he explains, regulates blood flow and adjusts the propensity of blood to coagulate and clot. In addition, it secretes assorted chemicals in response to wounds, infection or irritation. It also plays an important role in the development of cardiovascular disease.
"The endothelium is the first line in the development of atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries," said Dr. Miller. "So given the results of our study, it is conceivable that laughing may be important to maintain a healthy endothelium. And reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease." At the very least, he adds, "laughter offsets the impact of mental stress, which is harmful to the endothelium." Laughter establishes -- or restores -- a positive emotional climate and a sense of connection between two people, In fact, some researchers believe that the major function of laughter is to bring people together. And all the health benefits of laughter may simply result from the social support that laughter stimulates.
http://www.psychologytoday.com/...
It is so easy in these very dark times in our nation and around the world to remember that we must above all take a time out from our completely 'upside down world,' because in fact we must remember that all of have a choice to balance our lives and it is that balance the will ultimately keep us sane and more importantly that balance is in fact a 'job' that only we can do for ourselves our friends, our families and those we love so much.
Taking a 'daily vacation' from our own troubled times, could be the best choice you can make for yourselves and for those that need you, so we can all do better and be stronger.
I'd love to hear about what you do to maintain your own balance and sanity in these times, and to add to this diary.
Best to all, and as usual, thanks to all.
Ms. B.