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Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Laugh in the Face of Everything

Farm couple shares a laugh in 1940


Got no crop last year
Lived off the fat of the land
Ma says I taste good

On that new kwi-zine
Ma feasted. I fasted. Look:
Now I need new pants

Crop came in this year
We’re living high on the hog
Food’s good. Love’s better.




This old photograph reminds me that laughter's one of strongest medicines on earth. While 1940 wasn't a banner year in history, the farming couple from Connecticut still enjoys a joke, maybe made by the husband as he hoists his pants.

A sense of humor helps maintain my equilibrium as the world churns around me. I suffer from a tendency for catastrophic thinking, but there’s an antidote: a dose of hilarity. Mentors showed me I can improve my perspective whenever I want to, no matter what’s on deck, by celebrating life’s absurdities. I'm thankful for the power of laughter.

See what the photo inspires in others over at the Poetry Jam.

Photo credit:
Public Domain Photograph from the Farm Security Administration – Office of War Information Photograph Collection in the Library of Congress; Jack Delano, photographer.

22 comments:

the walking man said...

Must have been a belly buster!

Brian Miller said...

nice progression through these...the first gave me a good chuckle...the last warmed my heart...

izzy said...

A lovely write for this picture! great job- Humor is definitely
part of the honey that life
pours out!

Anonymous said...

Oh my god, I love that picture. That you for giving me a great start to the day :-)

Yvonne Osborne said...

I love this. Absolutely!!

Living off the land, you're either laughing or crying and pray they balance each other other. Laughter is the strongest medicine on earth and absolutely free.

The Bug said...

I love how you've captured the love here - you can tell that they're connected to each other simply because they're touching. Body language says a lot!

Maybe I'll join the jam this week. I shall ponder it in my heart :)

Anonymous said...

thank you Chris, this is just what i needed to be reminded today ... :-)

Sage Ravenwood said...

Love this, left me with a much needed smile. (Hugs)Indigo

Carrie Van Horn said...

I agree with you completely Chris....laughter is such wonderful therapy.....:-)

Karen said...

I love your rich imagination!

Lou said...

Chris, you never fail to surprise, inspire, or make me laugh. I'm glad for your sharing here in blogville!

Mary said...

I agree with you, Chris. Laughter is good medicine. In your poem, I especially liked the second stanza. I hope Ma laughed at it too. LOL.

Ed Pilolla said...

if the love is better than the food, the food is either weak or the love is the real thing. basically, there's nothing to be gained through weak food:)

Maude Lynn said...

"Food’s good. Love’s better."

I love that!

Janet Martin said...

You did this picture brilliantly! Thank-you for the smiles:)

Victoria said...

I completely agree with "Food's good. Love's better."

jabblog said...

'We're living high on the hog' - what a fabulous phrase. I agree, the last line's wonderful.

Cad said...

Lovely response to this Jam pot...

Jennifer said...

Laughter has saved my life many times. Your blog is a wonderful find. I wish I could write poetry like you do. Your header photo is one of the magnificent I've seen. I could sit and look at it all day long.

steveroni said...

Some really good 'climbing trees' up top of your blog. Difficult to climb these royal palms where we live.

Re: sense of humor.
"Long live laughter!" Enjoyment of living has gotten me through many rough spots.

I knew that couple in the photo 1940...they owned the farm behind our place. Nobody EVER stopped at their house saying, "We were just passing by..."--grin!

PEACE, Peep!

Margaret said...

Foods good, loves better.

(and his looser pants are proof of that! (wink)

ha. Had fun reading this one.

Syd said...

I much prefer the laughing couple to the American Gothic couple.