Not-So-Little Mister Sunshine
"Hope is never stupid. You have to make your own luck." By faith, Hurley begins to believe that the island is ready to turn things around for him and his friends. He took the return of Sawyer & Kate and the discovery of the VW Bus as signs that things were starting to look up. He didn't just sit back and wait for more good fortune to wash over him. Instead he took the initiative to embrace and pursue hope. For Hugo & the boys, hope was found in a simple and daring moment of fun.
Since the episode was a little lighter fair this week, let's bring a little levity to the blog. Does anyone have examples of how a moment of fun brought a ray of hope into a seemingly hopeless situation? What are some suggestions of fun things one could do this week if they, like Hurley & Charlie, needed to snapped out of a funk?
8 Comments:
OK, I'll bite.
Hurley is such a great asset to the Lostaways, because of his awareness and concern for his fellow castaways' need for diversion from their island cares, and for some good old fun in their lives on the island. He seems to know Proverbs 17:22: "A merry heart doeth good like a medicine, but a broken spirit drieth the bones." Modern medical studies have recently shown that laughter and real inner joy and peace also builds up our immune systems, etc., so this thought is really true.
I find that it's most often the small and silly things that lift my spirits. When I was going through some really tough times in NY, I used to watch my "Mystery Science Theater 3000" tapes a lot to cheer myself up. Now, if no one knows what I'm talking about, it's a comedy show where a guy in a satellite orbiting earth watches bad scifi movies with two robots, and they sit there and crack wise all through the show. Sometimes you can't even hear what is going on in the movie because they talk so much, but they are so funny that it doesn't matter. Their humor is droll, sarcastic, snarky (my new favorite LoCo word) and is derived from all forms of culture, literature, history, and walks of life. Anyway, these guys get me laughing so much that I am crying and holding my stomach in agony! It makes me feel so much better. It's simmple, silly, and goofy, and I love it. And when my brother and I get together and watch it, it's even better.
I also think a good lessen from Hurley's character, is that he likes to share his joy with other people, because that makes him feel good too. It does feel good to make other people laugh or smile. If I can muster up enough energy to make someone else laugh, even when I'm feeling down, it makes me feel better too.
And that also couples with the "humor-in-misery-loves-company" angle. When I was getting chemo, there were some of us who used humor to relieve the tension and fear of sitting there for five hours with bags of poisons pumping into our bodies. So we cracked jokes about it, about hair loss and goofy wigs, about feeling like pin-cushions, etc. and making jokes about it helped us get through the ordeal. It probably made our bodies more able to accept the nasty chemicals as well, I would imagine.
It's nice that TPTB use the Hurley character to pass on this example of how we can ease bad situations, or our friends' suffering, with laughter and most of all hope, as this show was also about.
I know Mystery Science Theatre 3000! But it's been a long time since I've seen it.
Oh where do I begin? If I concentrate on the little moments there is so much fun! Here is a sampling.
We went to the library this week and picked up books including one about "Big Rigs" (also called semitrailers). My son was awed that a big rig can fit a bed and a TV in back. He proceeded to announce that he was going to grow up, marry his best girlfriend, and then live in a Big Rig with a bed in the back. Lovely. Every parents' dream for their kid. I hope her parents will still be friends with us.
Last week I was putting away dishes when my two year old daughter came into the room all dressed up. You can see from my avatar that she likes to dress up. She received fluffy skirts and crowns and high heeled plastic shoes. "Clip clop clip clop," she comes prancing into the kitchen. I ask her to put her cups in the sippy cup basket. What a vision! High heels and doing housework. I've created a stereotype!
My daughter insists on sleeping with her sunglasses.
My son says he's the "real pretend Superman."
The best thing I can do in a funk is get down on the floor with my kids. When I no longer have small kids I'm going to borrow other people's kids. Of course then I'll be that "wacky lady" who always wants to hang out with kids and hold babies. Better start embracing my future now. ;-)
Awwww, the balloon fairy! :o) That picture made me smile too!
Things to do this week if you want to get out of a funk...
1. Go see Happy Feet. Get popcorn and a drink. Child companion optional, but helps. Dance to the closing credits.
2. Begin to write down your blessings, what you have to be thankful for. Get creative. Count the small stuff, like waking up this morning, being able to see, walk, hear, eat, feel, breathe on your own (you get the idea). Do this until you understand how much you have to appreciate, instead of complain about.
3. Go do something. Get a manicure, massage, clean out a closet, hit a bucket of golf balls, cook a gourmet meal, whatever you think would be fun to do...just do it! Get your blood moving, the aerobic endorphens will feel great.
ok, that was my 3 easy steps to de-funkification.
Or you could just eat copious amounts of chocolate. (Works for me!)
That's a great list! The problem with copious amount of chocolate is the guilt afterwards. Now if your chocolates are also vitamins... I long for the day when I can get all the nutrients I need from chocolate! ;-)
Thanks. They are good but I can't eat them because have milk in them. I get hard chocolate calcium vitamins from my whole foods place. I don't remember the brand. Still, that's only calcium. Wouldn't it be wonderful to only have to eat chocolate?! ;-)
Dark Chocolate, Twinkle, dark chocolate. It's the food of heaven! (Well, eternity without chocolate is the definition of hell, right? ergo...)
Yes, the greatest discovery in our lifetime, that dark chocolate has vitamins in it! Can you eat the 70-90% dark with little-to-no milk solids in it Twinkle? If not, just go get the bittersweet cooking chocolate. :o)
I wonder if Admin will give us a new thread for Sayid's ep? Would be a good ep for discussing forgiveness and/or remorse. I hope that Admin is OK.
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