Laughing and Learning: Minnesooooooota

Minnesooooota
Bomber hat
Meat raffle
Hot dish
Cheese curds
Baaag
What do all of these have in common?

Apparently, they are unique to MN. Before you Wisconsinites get your undies in a bundle about cheese curds coming from Wisconsin, hear me out. If you read last week's blog you knew that Jessie and I had a friend coming to town. Now from the moment she stepped off the plane the last time she came to visit, she proceeded to make non stop fun of the way we talk. But this is not the first time this has happened. I'm sure if you have had visitors from outside the midwest, you know they are shocked at how we talk here in Minnesooooota.

The best part was, I couldn't stop hearing it and I couldn't stop saying oooohhhh. It's just something I and Minnesotans do. But all of the things listed above, were unique to my born Oklahoman, school in Missouri, now living in Denver friend. But when you think about it, what a great life we have in MN. We talk with a great funny accent, we wear bomber hats, we have meat raffles, we eat cheese curds and hot dish, and so so many more things.

But the real lesson here is that you have to able to laugh at yourself. I could have easily been so upset about her making fun (in good humor) of the way I talk. But it is way more enjoyable to laugh with and to point it out EVERY time someone says any word with the long vowel sound. It happens about every 30 seconds. No matter how serious life gets, there is always a time and a place to laugh at ourselves. Laugh at the way we talk, what we eat, what we wear, or anything else. Humor and laughter bring a lightness to your life.

Science proves it's good for your health to be able to laugh at yourself.

http://healthland.time.com/2011/08/09/why-laughing-at-yourself-may-be-good-for-you-first-ever-study/

What can you laugh at about yourself?? What can you share with others that is humorous about you?

This weekend also reminded me that the company of good friends is so fun and vital to life. We did so many things: Crashed Ice, ran the Frozen 10k in freezing temperatures, went to the Winter Carnival ice and snow sculptures, danced in Rice Park with the Winter Carnival dancers, went to a Swarm game, shopped at the mall, went on the high ropes course at the Mall of America, played video games at Chatterbox, went to the best MN store in Northeast "I Like You" and ate so much good MN food. But most of all, we just spent time hanging together.

What can you explore in your own town or neighborhood? One of my all time favorite quotes "Life is for living, for reaching out for new experiences" eleanor roosevelt

Find something new this week, spend time with a good friend, and take time to laugh at yourself. I know we laughed A LOT.

Here are a few of the fun pics from this weekend.