I Laugh a Lot

Show me someone without any stress - and I’ll bet we are at the cemetery. It is a fact of life that we will all face stress. We did yesterday, we will today and we should spot a trend when we see one and predict that we will tomorrow. The trick, as many have noted, is in developing a tactic to deal with the inevitability of its next appearance. What I call the default stress response. 

What do we do?

How do we react?

What is our fist response?

Lately, and truthfully, I have been experiencing an increased level of stress related anxiety since approximately the day that the current administration took office, lied about it, covered up several felonies and have continued to run amok, shamelessly slashing and burning established democratic norms ever since. Worse, of course, is having to work so hard to escape the relentless barrage of right-wing propaganda supporting, and at times directing, this callus campaign of shallowness of spirit. I can provide you in one sentence with my entire political mission statement (with apologies to the oath accepted by medical professionals): DO NOT PREFORM ANY ACT THAT WILL UNNECESSARILY INCREASE THE SUFFERING OF OTHERS. 

With this in mind, it is deeply painful to watch as the exact opposite seems to be at the very heart of the core strategies employed by the white supremacists who are now calling for national unity (as long as it is united by their manifesto). Deeply troubling. Scary. Insane. Disturbing. 

Which brings us full circle. How do we deal with these daily, sometimes hourly, proclamations of pain?  

Glad you asked. 

Here is my go-to, self-medication technique. But first a quick disclaimer. I am just as guilty as the next guy of using distraction as therapy. To cleanse my consciousness of hatred, anger, violence, bigotry, racism and political corruption, I use the tried and true, fail-safe, guaranteed or your money back, non-negotiable, modern and contemporary habits of: 

College football.

A good made for TV series.

Music.

Reading.

Food.

Beer.

Exercise. 

Yes, I also meditate, yogatate and master….. wait. Sorry. TMI?

There is your disclaimer. I am human, weak and prone to errors. I have fucked-up as well, if not better than, those of world-class stature. 

Every day I deal with the stress and anxiety that stems from this predicament. It soils the air around me like exhaust from a V-8 burning 30 weight. This pollution along with whatever evil augmentations are sent my way (or to immigrant children, gays, blacks, Muslims, women, seniors, vets or the environment) from our ribald ‘leadership’ truly creates a world of hurt. One painful planet. 

Therefore, following is my default stress response:

Breath deep and relax. This will pass. Rise above. Let it go and find some flow. 

Those failing, I laugh about it. 

I laugh a lot.