Things That Make Us Smile

From time to time we see, hear, read, or experience things that make us smile. Sometimes, we actually guffaw.

The source usually comes uninvited and occasionally it's as simple as witnessing a little toddler who just recently learned to walk without falling.

Now, he or she is taking on "the run" in your local mall. As the child approaches you, their body moving like jello, and leaning forward or backwards a little too much at times for your comfort level, you almost expect the word "TILT to light up their happy faces.

When they finish the run successfully, ending up in the open arms of a grateful parent or grandparent, it makes us smile. To me, who is old enough to get pretty sentimental at times, it's reminiscent of eavesdropping on a child's bedtime conversation with God.

We love their innocence and enthusiasm.

Recently while cleaning out the library's reading sources (think bathroom) I glanced through a well read copy of Reader's Digest before making a final decision as to whether or not to pitch it.

This magazine has been a favorite of mine for years and I still enjoy reading it. It was even the topic of a class lecture in my Freshman year of college. The course was American History 101 - one of my favorite subjects - and the year was either late 1955 or early 1956.

It was a time when the subject of communism, including witch hunts, preening politicians, ruined reputations, Edward R. Murrow, Joe McCarthy, etc. was fresh in everyone's mind. Too often our local media appeared a mite too anxious to see communist infiltration in everything from labor union strikes to movies and TV dramas, like Studio One, when they didn't have happy endings.

Our History professor was obviously a learned man who spoke with few notes, if any. He could do so as he occasionally repeated lectures he had given to previous Freshman classes.

The day of the lecture I referenced he was explaining to us, the "new frosh", how the Reader's Digest was tied in with the Communist Party. His reasoning as to the Party sponsorship was that the Digest had no advertising in its issues, yet it's circulation continued to increase every year.

A wide awake student raised his hand. The professor, a fire and brimstone sort of guy, who was short, wore horn rimmed glasses, and favored tweed jackets with patches on the elbows, was obviously displeased to be interrupted.

He glared at the male student hoping the latter might drop his hand and shrink through the floor cracks in the classroom before arriving at his appropriate resting place.

The student persisted. Finally, the professor called upon him, allowing the young man the privilege of being able to address an obvious scholar who also had an unusually strong opinion of himself.

"Professor", the student started, "you apparently are not aware that Reader's Digest has had advertisements in their issues for some time now."

It was a good day for all of us. Class was dismissed early and I smiled as I sought out a cold Coke before heading to my next class. I could smile as this writer wasn't the male student.

When I was young, ambitious, and working , the Digest came in handy. With all the reading you had to do on the job, sometimes you couldn't always find time to wade through the long articles in the various periodicals like "Time","Newsweek","US News and World Report", and " The Wall Street Journal".

Reader's Digest often provided me with the Cliff's Notes version. It was important for all of us young white collar stiffs to be up to date on current events. You could pretty much expect to receive a question in this area from someone if you were lucky enough to be scheduled for a promotional interview. It could also arise in a conversation at a uncomfortable and unscheduled luncheon with an "exec" from the regional office.

You could only say, "How about them Steelers?" so often.

Occasionally I did get to read for fun. One such example was the book, "The Day Lincoln Was Shot", by Jim Bishop. I even committed April 14, 1865 to memory, though I doubted a lack of that particular information would be injurious to any promotional ambitions or come up at lunch unless I forced the issue.

Today, in the course of my glancing, I found the unread "Life" section of the July 2009, Reader's Digest and this story:

A reader wrote, "Putting down my riveting book on the Lincoln assasination, I turned to my wife and explained how after shooting the president, John Wilkes Booth leaped onto the the Ford's Theatre stage, raised his knife, and shouted the Virginia State motto.

My wife crinkled her eyebrows and asked, "Virginia is for lovers?"

Now, that's humor folks. I didn't just smile. I laughed out loud and thought it was also a delighful follow-up to the most recent blog on the subject of husband/wife communication.

Now, it's time to follow the advice on a local business sign I saw recently:
"levity, brevity, and longevity".

Two out of three ain't bad.