Delving into the lighter side of life
As I drove to work one morning, stuck in congested traffic as usual, I noticed the bumper sticker on a taxi which was trying to squeeze in ahead of me.
The sticker indicated that this particular taxi can suddenly stop anytime and anywhere.
No kidding, as if we need reminding.
For a brief moment, I didn’t think much of this bold statement, as we know taxi’s in SA are notorious for driving up motorists’ blood pressure, but then it struck me that the sticker is actually supposed to be a stab at humour.
It was as if the driver was saying “Hey, we know we drive badly, and we know we are an irritation on the road, but this is how things roll in Africa”.
So I cracked a wry smile, crawled another few centimetres forward, and realised that maybe we are too serious in this country.
Maybe we must just lighten up a bit and roll with life under the African sun.
Sure we have crime, we have load shedding, we have e-tolls, and we have a parliament which runs like a circus, but truly, show me a country which does not have issues?
Let us not pretend things are all sunshine and roses in America (in the land of the free where racial tension is rife), or in Europe (Copenhagen shooting, Charlie Hebdo killings), or the Middle East (Isil attacks).
Count your blessings that you don’t live in the Ukraine where heavy armoured vehicles make taxis look like child’s play.
We will not even talk about staying in the rest of Africa, where Boko Haram is slaughtering villagers relentlessly.
And no, Australia is not my cup of tea – too hot, and they battle fires while having to deal with the world’s deadliest spiders, snakes and all other strange creatures.
London is too cold, and so are its citizens.
We can actually be glad we live in modern times, where electricity has been invented, there is fast transport and quick access to food or running water.
For a long period in this planet’s history, one had to make fire for light and warmth, hunt for food, find a river for water and deal with war, famine and various plagues.
Maybe we should just count our blessings before we declare our lamentations.
As someone who has travel ed, South Africa is really not that bad.
Things are certainly not hunky-dory here in the south, but at least we are not dealing with civil war or rockets constantly flying over our heads.
So, let’s crack a smile — while trying not to be so politically correct and offended all the time — but, we are not talking about the the President’s example of a sly grin, such as his, after the EFF was thrown out of parliament, followed by the DA walking out, during Sona 2015.
Yes, Mr President, there is a difference between a good sense of humour and being flippant to the point of being disrespectful.
Maybe we should laugh more at ourselves, at the craziness around us and the people who inhabit this soil, and maybe we should be allowed to do so without having to worry about being called racist or a bigot, or whatever other term some people deem fit.
After all, humor is infectious, so smile and laugh! We have enough other contagious pandemics and epidemics to worry about (Ebola is still around and so is HIV), so let us all vote for a good infection!
It has been found that the sound of roaring laughter is far more contagious than any cough, sniffle, or sneeze. When laughter is shared, it binds people together and increases happiness and intimacy.
Laughter also triggers healthy physical changes in the body. Humor and laughter strengthens your immune system, boost your energy, diminish pain, and protect you from the damaging effects of stress.
Did you know laughter triggers the release of endorphins (the body’s natural feel-good chemicals) and it protects the heart?
Yes, laughter improves the function of blood vessels and increases blood flow, which can help protect you against a heart attack and other cardiovascular problems. Best of all, this priceless medicine is fun, free, and easy to use!
I remember the other day when load shedding once again jumped out of the closet, a joke which circulated on social media managed to brighten my day.
The joke was simple and it goes roughly as follows: Bad news is that the pawpaw will hit the fan (in relation to load shedding), but the good news is that Eskom says the fan will not be working from 9am to 3pm.
Simple, but funny. It helps us to see the lighter side (excuse the pun) of life, especially in our time of darkness. Surely we can find some good and humour amongst of the bad?
I saw an advert the other day, that if you buy a new vehicle (certain brand of course) you get a free generator. Come on, that is funny and quite inventive!
At least load shedding is forcing marketing gurus and companies to come up with new strategies to sell their products. So why not sell some candles as an extra incentive?
And maybe load shedding is not all that bad. It forces people to actually connect physically beyond the realm of social media and, yes, can you imagine it, the human race will again begin to socialise with each other as they have done for thousands of years.
Indeed, it has been found that laughter is a powerful antidote to stress, pain and conflict. Nothing works faster or more dependably to bring your mind and body back into balance than a good laugh.
As you read this, laugh a bit. Sure, people might think you are not well, or that you have stepped over into the land of hysteria, but who cares?
The problem is, there are a lot of things in this country we cannot change; we just have to roll with them and hope the government gets its act together.
Why sit and worry over things which are beyond our control?
It will not help to scream, shout and stress over such matters, rather focus what you can change, such as your attitude and way of looking at life. It is not that impossible to find the positive in the midst of the negative.
Come on, I now you want to laugh a bit. You might find it works wonders, and you never know, somebody who stares at you strangely for laughing might soon also laugh.
Stress and tension are getting us down in this country, and the natural antidote is to smile and do your best, no matter the circumstances. We cannot change Eskom’s plight, or the fluctuation of the oil price or the strength of the Rand, so just roll with it.
We are not talking about being flippant about our problems and the issues we face daily, since crime is a dark reality, but rather about realising that some things we cannot change, so the best is to find some kind of humour in all the mayhem and yes, crack a smile.
After all, taxis will continue to stop anywhere and anytime and they will continue to do so for many years to come. Just accept it.
At least we still have a functioning police force (yes, I know of all the cases of brutality, corruption and incompetence), at least we are not dealing with an ISIL or a Boko Haram, and let us be thankful that candles are still relatively cheap (so is rice).
