Are We Having Fun Yet?

Fun . . . the expenditure of time in a manner designed for therapeutic refreshment of one's body or mind. That said, are we having fun yet?

No doubt all who read this will perceive fun in many different ways. Sports are fun for many, movies, parties, travel, comedy shows, television, reading, spending time with children and friends, or pets. A smaller percentage will think of their work as fun . . . very fortunate percentage, at that. Activities which are enjoyable or amusing make us happy. While having fun, we are carefree, lighthearted, and generally unworried. It is easy to be untroubled, glad that we are alive. In fact, having fun at all times appears to be a desirable, optimal way of living.

Giving ourselves permission to have fun is another story. Obtaining permission from our significant others may be difficult at times, also. A happy spirit, free of judgments and hyper-responsible guilty feelings, coupled with a reasonably relaxed mind speed one toward having many happy and fun moments. Have we become too serious about life? As Will Rogers has said: “ . . . get all the laughs you can” and . . . “don’t take yourself too serious.”

A line in shock rocker Marilyn Manson’s song Putting Holes in Happiness . . . “ways to make the tiny satisfaction disappear” pretty much outlines the tendency some have to take down someone else’s elation so that it matches their own level of un-fun. A lifetime of this can be a real downer, (defined as one that depresses, such as an experience or person) especially when you find that you’re married to or working with one of these people . . . or heaven forbid, both.

Utne Reader prints Matt Labash’s (Weekly Standard) article in regard to fun in the workplace: “If you thought there were only 301 Ways to Have Fun at Work, as suggested by the smash book that’s been translated into six languages, then you’re shortchanging yourself because, technically, there are 602 ways (see 301 More Ways to Have Fun at Work). Using examples culled from real companies in real office parks throughout America, the authors suggest using fun as “an organizational strategy—a strategic weapon to achieve extraordinary results” by training your people to learn the “fun-damentals” so as “to create fun-atics” (most funsultants appear to be paid by the pun).”

Funsultants? Oh, fine idea. If ‘fun’ to you seems to be suspect, practiced by mostly irresponsible, immature others, permitted only when it’s safely slotted into a small time frame and outlined carefully, you need immediate help. Race to a competent therapist. Happy, relaxed people get more accomplished. Besides, you will live longer, be healthier and have more friends if you laugh and have fun regularly. Trust me on this.