Is It Time For Another Saturday Night Live Moment, Or Can We Smile Again?
Is it time world? Is it time to be funny again?
It was the season premiere of the 27th season of Saturday Night Live (SNL) on September 29, 2001, 18 days after the horrific September 11 attacks that took place in New York City. The show featured an opening with Rudy Giuliani, then Mayor of New York City, along with the firefighters and police officers of New York, declaring that despite the terrorist attack, New York City would run as normal and SNL would go on as planned, with producer Lorne Michaels asking Giuliani, “Can we be funny?” and Giuliani replying in perfect sync, “Why start now?”
It was a bold move. Our country was mourning, feelings were raw, and it was highly questionable whether funny was even remotely appropriate. I will never forget that moment – for me, it worked. It wasn’t a light switch whereby the pain and anguish of the attacks went away, but more a nationwide watercooler moment of giving ourselves permission to get on with our lives, when it seemed like we’d never be able to think about anything else ever again.
While the circumstances are different, I feel a similar sense of malaise weighing me down. Devastating fires, mass shootings, tornadoes, floods, typhoons, earthquakes, hurricanes and more have ravaged our world of late. Politics are explosive and social media is rife with tragic stories of illness, death, and heartache. Yes, this has always been our world to one extent or another, but it seems lately everything is bombarding us all at once, with no breaks in between.
I’m not asking for permission, and I’m not asking for answers, but I find myself wondering – is it okay to smile again when there is so much tragedy in our midst? Is it okay to laugh again when so many others are crying? Is it okay to feel happiness and joy again when some don’t even have a place to call home? Will there be another SNL moment giving us the green light to move on, or have we already done that and I just haven’t caught up yet?
I suspect we all have a different perspective and tactic as to how we handle the world around us and that’s okay. I’ve always been quiet and reserved by nature and for me, pulling back from stress as best I can while I try to find my center is how I cope. Right now I can’t reconcile in my mind posting funny cat memes or quirky complaints about the little things in life like I used to with regularity on Facebook and Twitter when I know so many people are suffering. I’m also struggling with blogging with any clarity, as my mind just isn’t cooperating with me creatively.
No matter how difficult circumstances, as long as I have the love and companionship of my kitties, it can’t be that bad.
But I will again. Expressing my feelings in writing helps me forge my way back to a happier place and this post is part of that. I enjoy my cat blogging/social media life and while there is hardship in this world, I also know my cat pictures, posts and comments have the ability to inspire, to bring joy, and to make people smile. I know my cats bring me joy and make me smile and I don’t think I’m meant to feel guilty for my own happiness. And honestly, my life is not bad. I have nothing to complain about and I’m grateful for every blessing I have. I’m just taking a different direction at the moment and I’m spending more time doing things out of my norm. I’ve taken up some crafting projects that have been lots of fun (I’m making designer cat ears, something I’ll share with you in an upcoming post) and I’m continuing my path of cleaning the house of clutter.
I’m retiring to the couch earlier at night to watch TV with Dan and the kitties and one of my hidden pleasures – now that I finally have a new iPhone with a bigger screen – I’m back to playing FreeCell, something that is wonderfully mindless for me! I believe all of these little joyful moments are heading me down the path of my own SNL recovery and in that spirit, I felt compelled to share a montage of some of the other little things in life that bring me happiness.
I’m very blessed to have a gorgeous backyard to connect with nature and enjoy the serenity life has to offer…
There is never a time popcorn doesn’t make me happy…especially those odd times of the day when you traditionally don’t eat popcorn!
I love having a family that indulges my inner cat lady! This was my brother and his family in 2010 when I visited them up North.
I found this flamingo jacket at Kohl’s and I think it speaks for itself. I didn’t buy it, but I shared the picture on Facebook and the joy it brought everyone was contagious! Only in Florida, folks…
Ah yes…meeting your blogging pals for the first time ever! This was 2011, BlogPaws, where I bumped into two of my favorite cat ladies – Ingrid King/The Conscious Cat and Caren Gittleman/Cat Chat with Caren and Cody. Naturally, I made them try on some of my cat ears!
Playing board games with the family ranks at the top of my list of favorite things to do!
During the night Zee goes hunting for gifts to leave for Dan and I. This is typically what we’re greeted to each morning – clearly we are very loved!
Any day I’m blessed to have my mom in my life is a great day. She is a true inspiration to me and I love her dearly.
Making Christmas cookies with my step-daughter, Jackie… I never get tired of that!
Feeding my precious squirrels gives me an enormous amount of joy!
Experiencing one of those incredulous moments in 2009 with family and friends when I, as the only Dolphins fan, witnessed us beating the New England Patriots… As a Dolphins fan, you gotta take what you can get, even if it means a trip down memory lane…
When my favorite cat litter is Buy One, Get One Free. I need not say more…
We haven’t gone in ages, but when Dan and I ride his Harley to the beach, it doesn’t get much better than that!
Coming home from work and putting on my comfy Hello Kitty sweatpants (accompanied by a glass of wine).
If I ever win the lottery, I’d love a house on the water. No matter what ails me, when I visit the beach all my troubles vanish away for the time being.
Our guest bedroom, also known as the “leopard room” is where I go when I need peace and tranquility. I do much of my writing and reflecting in this room.
No matter where I am, anytime I spot a dog it brings instant joy to my life!
Remembering those times when Jazz and Harley were still with us…
This pretty much sums it up…
How about you all? How do you deal with the stresses around you? How are you coping with today’s world? What are some of the small joys you have in your life that bring you happiness? Please feel free to share, as hearing from you all also brings me joy! Happy Sunday everyone!
It’s a Blog Hop!
What a wonderful post and photos. To me, it’s all about gratitude, and, like you, finding joy in small moments. And I do think we need funny cat memes now more than ever!
Thank you Ingrid – as an avid reader of your blog and books, I know firsthand how well you treasure the small moments in life with gratitude and joy!
This was a sweet and special post and quite timely. I didn’t post publicly, but we had a death in our family this past Wednesday. Our cousin. He would have been 61 tomorrow. He had battled kidney cancer for 5 yrs. Well, my birthday was this past Friday as you know and obviously with a death of someone so young, it was awkward. Friday night we were with family and it was a mix of “Happy Birthday” and condolences…….I had never experienced anything like that. I didn’t feel happy and I didn’t feel I SHOULD be happy on my birthday being with family at the home where he passed. The funeral was yesterday. It was a unique and special one (he was in a motorcycle group and TONS of the group were there), they gave the most poignant and heartfelt tributes, while wearing their motorcycle gear. It was the most authentic funeral I had ever attended and the most touching. Last night, I was able to celebrate my birthday with my sisters in law, brother in law and Lenny and we had a blast watching the playoff game and old family videos. I was able to be happy. But…with the funeral and sadness and a birthday with happiness………it made me see that with good there is always bad, with life there is always death and there is always a lesson to be learned. It’s “the circle of life”………………and my dear friend, we didn’t “bump” into each other in 2011, it was BOTH of our first BlogPaws and we were GLUED to each other………lol! We were terrified!!! Love you! thank you for this fabulous post!
Thank you for sharing this heartfelt glimpse into your life and circumstances. I am so sorry for the loss of your cousin and while things might have initially seemed awkward, it sounds like it was a beautiful moment that will forever be in your heart.
As far as whether we bumped into each other or not, I was so nervous (and terrified) as you said, that I honestly don’t remember the specifics, other than being grateful to have you by my side!!!!!!
It’s good to cry, but better to laugh. It’s great to do both together but what we mustn’t do is forget or not learn from what has happened. We should never berate folks for being happy when others are sad, either, as sadness comes out in many ways, after all if there was no joy who would make us happy?
How wonderful to see you all happy and enjoying the times you have together, it’s what we should all be doing….
Toodle pip and purrs
ERin
You are right Erin the Cat, Princess. I think we have to allow ourselves the understanding and compassion that just because we’re happy, doesn’t mean we forget. Happiness, compassion, laughter, caring…these are all wonderful ways to help mend the mind, heart, spirit, and soul.
Doing things with Speedy whether its cuddles in bed while watching tv or going out on an adventure with him.brings the greatest joy.little things though like going to the beach,baking cakes or proper cooking is a joy and anything arty too,xx Rachel
All of those things sound absolutely wonderful speedyrabbit! xoxo
Great post and I relate to much of it personally, as in: POPCORN! and the flamingo jackets are stupendous. I have PTSD and have endured many, many losses in my life from the time I was 6 (my grandfather); and I feel loss deeply. But in the midst of what has been a truly terrible month for so many of us in so many ways, I got up the gumption to have some big things done on the house which needed doing, and the momentum isn’t stopping. It’s said that in the midst of life, we are also in the midst of death — and I turn that around, and go forward. I believe we are here for a reason, and try to manifest that every day. All of what you posted is part of that for you, and much of it is for me, too. We are truly blessed to be here, and if we’re actively engaged in giving back, I think that’s what we’re supposed to be doing and what fulfills us.
I love your perspective jmuhj and you are right. I believe part of getting through it all is helping others and giving back. Even if it’s just a kind word, a smile, or a shoulder to cry on. I’m so happy you’re finding the strength to get things done on your house – it’s a liberating feeling and having a sense of accomplishment is always good for the soul!
I often wonder the same thing. I’m suffering from “outrage fatigue,” and I know I need to stay aware and awake to what’s going on, but it’s not doing my mental health any good. I do take comfort from my cats and the fact that they live completely in the present. My Belladonna, with her silly antics, reminds me to laugh every day. My beautiful, brave Tara teaches me to have patience with myself; I didn’t have any problem with her taking so long to come out of her shell, so why not forgive myself when I need to retreat to some place safe and quiet when life overwhelms me. And then there’s the little things–the moon rising, the leaves turning color, the refreshing rain that we so desperately need…all of these things make me happy.
Those are beautiful things to make you happy JaneA. I like how you compare retreating to a safe place like that of a cat. It makes sense now why I back away and do that. The collective burdens of the world are far too much to bear and I think it’s okay to realize we can’t fix everything. Stay happy and healthy!
We love your post. We try to be thankful and see happiness in little things of our daily life, even more now that the world seems to be totally crazy. Claire found a lovely sign yesterday. It’s a white square with a tiny rainbow on it, and it says : “Everyone wants happiness, no one wants pain, but you can’t have a rainbow without a little rain !”. So true, isn’t it ? Purrs
That is quite true Swiss Cats – thank you for sharing that precious piece of wisdom!
I love this positive post. We all need to look for what we are thankful for in our lives. XO
As easy as it might be, we can’t let all the “bad” things going on in the world get us down. We have to enjoy the little pleasures in our own lives. Thank you for this post reminding us all of this 🙂
Deb; do what you want, when you want, with whom you want; if it makes YOU happy, that’s all that counts
Sadly, the $#!* that goes on in today’s world isn’t going to stop, be it mother natures all out wrath, or
the stupidity and viciousness of mankind….
Each of us finds his/her own way of escaping ….life…..
we have to, or we’d all be crazy….that’s why the good Lord invented…. fun, which is something different for
each of us..
your clarity and insight is still intake; otherwise you wouldn’t have found all your blessings you’ve listed
here..
and try CUBIS sometime !!
♥♥♥♥♥
Great post!
Currently taking care of my mum after yet another drama in her life. Without my purrs and loving kitty vibes I don’t know where she would be.
Purrs xx
Athena and Marie
We love your more and the things you treasure are beyond price.
We need to smile and laugh when we can, without them we have no hope, and the world needs hope!
I believe that without feeling the sadness, leaning into the sharp points of life as Pema Chodron would say, we can’t fully embrace the happiness and the joys. And I believe we all do it in our our timeframe. My kitties have always been able to lift my spirits, even if they can’t erase the pain. I had a kitty as a young girl who would lick my tears away and just lay on my chest an purr…these days, the Squeedunk gang has a beautiful way of surrounding me. I also enjoy things like the moonlight streaming through my windows, walks around my neighborhood at dusk, early morning Dunkin Donuts coffee runs, and talking to friends on the phone.
Thanks for sharing your special moments with us!
Great post!