HUMOR AND AGING
In order to commemorate her 79thbirthday, Julie Andrews made a special appearance at Manhattan’s Radio City Music Hall for the benefit of AARP. One of the musical numbers she performed was an updated version of “My Favorite Things” from “The Sound of Music. Here are the new lyrics:
Boxtops and nose drops and needles for knitting,
Walkers and handrails and new dental fittings,
Bundles of magazines tied up in string,
These are a few of my favorite things.
Cadillacs, cataracts, hearing aids, glasses,
Polident, Fixodent, false teeth in glasses,
Pacemakers, golf carts and porches with swings,
These are a few of my favorite things.
When the pipes leak,
When the bones creak,
When the knees go bad,
I simply remember my favorite things,
And then I don’t feel…..so bad.
How important is humor in the aging process?
Humour is important regardless of age. We need to keep things in perspective when life is not going well. This can be helped with humour as Andrews has clearly demonstrated. Think of all the stand up comedians we have and how many people attend their shows or watch on TV. Remember Monty Pythons injunction 'always look on the bright side of life, ta dum, te dum.... as acted by the inimicable actor Eric Idle. It is not only stand up but comedy in theatre, on TV, circuses and so on. We need comedy as relief from tragedy, sadness, frustration, a sense of hopelessness, and so on. Long may it continue.
Valerie: Excellent insights, especially the reference to "Always look on the bright side of life." What a perfect example.
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