In America, each of
the states likes to promote themselves with a slogan. I currently live in Utah,
where the slogan is “Life Elevated.” It’s a nod to outdoor recreation in the
high country, including the ski industry. I previously lived in Colorado, a land
with red dirt, majestic mountains and golden plains. The slogan there is
“Colorful Colorado.” Years ago I lived in the “Peach State” of Georgia, and I
grew up in New Mexico, whose slogan is "Land of Enchantment."
New Mexico is a land
of high, arid desert and it has a beauty of its own. I have never seen a sunset
as spectacular as one in the New Mexico desert. The western sky can glow a
brilliant orange behind red and purple clouds.
But this is also a
country of wind, lots of it. A gritty wind can howl for hours, and “dust
devils” (funnel-shaped whirlwinds) will appear without notice.
We never seemed to
get away from dust in New Mexico, so I appreciate the story of a newcomer to
the Land of Enchantment who learned about dusty breezes. She was visiting an
antique shop and the proprietor wiped down every item before showing it. The
newcomer said, "Everything gets dusty here pretty quickly, doesn't
it?"
"That's not
dust, honey," the shop owner replied. "That's ENCHANTMENT."
Here was a person who
took a negative and turned it into something humorous. That made the problem
more palatable - easier to swallow, or at least live with. And face it: there
are some things, like the weather, that we can’t change. All we can change is our
attitude toward them. I believe one of the best techniques to do this is to
find some humor in the situation. Finding the funny side of a difficulty, an
irritation or a troublesome problem can be one of the most creative and
effective things we can do.
A Hong Kong shopping
center manager was informed that an escalator broke. He posted a sign to warn
customers. He opted not to use the traditional "Out of Order" or
"Do Not Use" warnings. Instead, his sign read,
"This Escalator Is Temporarily a Stairway." He turned a minus into
humor and made it a plus. Sometimes the only sense you can make of a situation
is a sense of humor.
How are you at
finding the funny side?
-- Steve Goodier
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