SENSE OF HUMOR-NO LIFE WITHOUT IT!

     Humor, laughter, comedy,, smiling, and, those,  that can make you smile or laugh, makes this old life more fulfilled. 

     For years and years, I never went to sleep without watching either the monologue of Johnny Carson or Jay Leno. End the day with humor not the problems of the day. It made sleeping much easier. Also, I always began the day with the comics from the Des Moines Register That was the last thing I read prior to scanning the headlines, sports, and business news. A great way to start the day with a smile or chuckle.

     Even in high school, along with collecting R & R records, I was purchasing comedy albums by the likes of Bob Newhart, Johnathan Winters, and Shelley Berman. All in hi-fi vinyl. All classics. The Button Down Mind album of Bob Newhart out sold all other singers and music groups at one time in the early 1960's.

     I couldn't get enough of the early television comedians- Sid Cesear, Milton Bearle, George Burns, and, my absolute favorite comedian, Jack Benny. He could just give you his look and make you laugh. My favorite team of comedians were the Three Stooges. No doubt. Slapstick at its best.    

     Even later, Ernie Kovaks had a television show for a while, He was bizarre, but, funny. Also, I couldn't get enough of Steve Allen. He introduced some of the best comedians of the time like Don Knotts, Tom Poston, Louis Nye, and Bill Dana.

     Speaking of Don Knotts, "The Andy Griffith Show" with him always made me laugh. Taxi, M.A.S.H., Cheers, and Seinfeld were all favorites. I especially loved Taxi.

     I always surrounded myself around people who had good sense of humor. At one time, there was a fellow I got to know from Boone, Iowa, by the name of Pat O'Connor (sp), He did a little stand-up comedy at places like comedy clubs and the like. Not real big time, but, he could make me laugh until tears rolled down my eyes and stomach hurting kind of laughter. It always made me feel good that I could make him laugh too. We were a regular Frick and Frack.

     Again, laughter and a good sense of humor is a big part of life's enjoyments. I will always give a lot of credit to my Uncle Tommy L. Laverty, Uncle Paul Laverty, and my Uncle Arnold Smith. They all possessed a great sense of humor and knew how to really laugh!