Once again, my wife and I are driving to California to visit the children and enjoy a respite from the cold. So I’d like to keep it simple by sharing a humorous story I have enjoyed and hope you will also. But first:
Laughing is good for your health — stimulating your brain and reducing stress are just two of the many benefits. Amusing stories are also beneficial as we age, by acknowledging the incongruities and absurdities of life and reminding us of our shared experiences. As Robert Fulton puts it, “It is a matter of laughing with ourselves, not at ourselves.”
Although there are many blessings as we get older, laughter can also help us deal with the accompanying challenges. Bob Newhart once said, “Laughter gives us distance. It allows us to step back from an event, deal with it, and then move on.” So here we are, still alive and kicking — or at least moving.
Now it’s time for the story about a tired senior and an arrogant and persistent lawyer who to his regret believes the stereotypes of older adults.
A lawyer and a senior are sitting next to each other on a long flight. The lawyer is thinking that seniors are so dumb that he could get one over on them easily. So, the lawyer asks if the senior would like to play a fun game.
The senior is tired and just wants to take a nap, so he politely declines and tries to catch a few winks. The lawyer persists, saying that the game is a lot of fun.
“I ask you a question, and if you don’t know the answer, you pay me only $5. Then, you ask me one, and if I don’t know the answer, I will pay you $500,” he says.
This catches the senior’s attention and, to keep the lawyer quiet, he agrees to play the game with him.
The lawyer asks the first question. “What’s the distance from the Earth to the Moon?”
The senior doesn’t say a word, but reaches into his pocket, pulls out a five-dollar bill, and hands it to the lawyer.
Now, it’s the senior’s turn. He asks the lawyer, “What goes up a hill with three legs, and comes down with four?”
The lawyer uses his laptop to search all references and he can’t find it on the Internet.
He sends E-mails to all the smart friends he knows; and all to no avail. After an hour of searching, he finally gives up.
He wakes the senior and hands him $500. The senior pockets the $500 and goes right back to sleep. The lawyer is going nuts now, not knowing the answer.
He wakes the senior up again and asks, “Well, so what goes up a hill with three legs and comes down with four??”
The senior reaches into his pocket, hands the lawyer $5 and goes back to sleep.
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Brain Tease: This one turned my head into a pretzel. See if you can do better. The day before yesterday, Chris was 7 years old. Next year, she’ll turn 10. How is this possible?
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The name of the popular toy invented in 1943 that can travel down a flight of stairs, end over end and land upright was a Slinky. Since my wife and I are on our annual road trip, I will name those who submitted correct answers in two weeks.
This is a tough one. We’ll see how many romantics there are in the audience. This film is considered one of the most romantic films of all time and it started with a New Year’s Eve kiss. For this week’s “Remember When’ question, what’s the name of the 1957 tearjerker starring Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr in which both were engaged to others but decided to meet six months later, which doesn’t go as planned. Email your answer to mcseniorcenter@gmail.com, call 541-296-4788, or send it with a bottle of non-alcoholic champagne.
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“Look to the future, because that is where you’ll spend the rest of your life.” — George Burns.
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Well, it’s been another week, waiting to turn the page. Until we meet again, may the new year be all you hope for.
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Nutritious home-delivered and in-person meals are available at noon Monday through Friday unless otherwise noted.
Seniors of Mosier Valley (541-980-1157), Mondays and Wednesdays; Hood River Valley Adult Center (541-386-2060); Sherman County Senior and Community Center (541-565-3191); The Dalles Meals-on-Wheels (541-298-8333).
For meal sites in Washington, call Klickitat County Senior Services — Goldendale office (509-773-3757) or the White Salmon office (509-493-3068); Skamania County Senior Services (509-427-3990).
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Answer: Today is Jan. 1st. Yesterday, Dec. 31, was Chris’s 8th birthday. On Dec. 30, she was still 7. This year she will turn 9, and next year, she’ll turn 10.
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