Intentional Foolishness

“Foolishness is a twin sister of wisdom.” –Witold Gombrowicz, Polish author

Choosing to be foolish is a difficult task. Allowing the fear of embarrassment to confront you and then push it away can be daunting. Yesterday was one serious conversation after another and it wasn’t until I was Skyping with my grandkids that I felt ‘safe’ to be foolish. We made faces and told silly stories and we all smiled (a lot).

“The point of living and of being an optimist is to be foolish enough to believe the best is yet to come.” –Peter Ustinov, English actor and writer

Some of the tension around  the potential discomfit is the perceived response from others. Will they shake their head and roll their eyes? Will they snort in derision? Will they laugh at you or with you? Why should I care? I am an optimist who believes in the capability of all people. I have been disappointed and surprised when my optimism is unwarranted or exceeded. When I have had the courage to intentionally inject silliness into my day, I feel joy and I see relief and happiness on the faces of those around me. I am not silly all the  time ( likely not often enough) but when I am I choose to be optimistic about the impact.

“Superstition is foolish, childish, primitive and irrational–but how much does it cost you to knock on wood?” –Judith Viorst, American author and journalist

I will pay the small cost of knocking on wood, telling a joke, dancing in the street because the return on that investment might be the best one I am making.

With a Silly Grin and a Weird Tune in My Heart,

B