15 Reasons to Laugh Through the Month of May
As chaos continues to coat the planet, there are still plenty of reasons to laugh this month.
Laughter is good for you. It lowers blood pressure and releases endorphins.
But when life gets tough, people get serious. They temporarily forget laughter can keep energetic vibrations high and mindsets positive, creating better experiences than those generated by grumpy dispositions.
Finding laughter in the pain can be difficult during those trying times. But never fear, the Vintage Vixen is here to give you at least 15 reasons to spend the rest of May laughing and embracing joy.
#1 In May 1937, Margaret Mitchell won the Pulitzer Prize for writing “Gone with the Wind”. Frankly, Rhett Butler didn’t give a damn.
#2 Did you watch the Kentucky Derby on May 6? In some cultures, Kentucky Derby is a Swahili term that means, “How many mint juleps did you drink before you decided that ridiculous hat was a good idea?”
#3 In May 1833, John Deere produced the first steel plow. This reminds me that in some rural areas, if you date a cowboy, you probably won’t get a Dear John letter when you break up. But you might get a John Deere letter. (Yes, that’s a tractor joke.)
#4 In May 1971, Alan Shepard rode Freedom 7 to become the first American in space. I don’t understand why that excites people. It’s not that unusual for men to occupy space. From 1980 until now, my ex-husband has been uselessly taking up space.
#5 May 12 was Limerick Day. I don’t want you to feel bad because you missed it. So, I wrote one for you.
There once was a cat named Misty.
She was one of the sweetest cats in history.
But she liked to escape
And hide behind drapes
When we told her we were going to Corpus Christi.
#6 May is National Barbecue Month. I grew up in Texas where barbecue is practically the national meal. We love our barbecue so much, we add an extra syllable so we can drawl out the month to last through June.
#7 In May 1841, the first wagon train left Independence, MO, for California. It is my understanding that since May 1, 1842, the wagons have been stuck in traffic on the Hollywood freeway. But within the next four years, they’re expected to reach their exit to Universal Studios Theme Park.
#8 In May 1936, Joe DiMaggio made his major league debut with three hits for the New York Yankees. For years, he was considered one of the most prestigious hitters of all time – especially during those years he was hitting on Marilyn Monroe.
#9 May 19 is National Bike to Work Day. I look forward to this day every year. I always celebrate by riding my bike to work. It doesn’t take very long to get there because I work at home.
#10 May 21 is National Memo Day. My office staff planned to celebrate this. They even formed a committee to plan something special. The committee was supposed to get back with us. But we never received that memo.
#11 In May 1775, John Hancock was unanimously elected president of the Continental Congress. When he heard the news, he said, “That’s the last time I play hooky and miss a Continental Congress meeting. They always nominate me for something without asking me first.”
#12 May 24 is National Escargot Day. I understand it took a while for this day to catch on. Progress towards the day’s adoption as a national holiday moved along at a snail’s pace.
#13 In May 1767, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s first opera, “Apollo et Hyacinthus”, premiered in Salzburg. He wrote it when he was 11 years old. His sixth-grade teacher asked why the young composer chose a Greek god as a protagonist in an Italian opera. Mozart said, “It’s all Greek to me.”
#14 In May 1884, Dr. John Harvey Kellogg patented flaked cereal. Mrs. Kellogg said, “Your flaked cereal is great, Dear. But it does not replace a hot breakfast unless you forgot to put the milk away again.”
#15 On May 31, 1969, John Lennon and Yoko Ono recorded the song, “Give Peace a Chance”. Later during a news conference, Yoko said that peas are just as nutritious as carrots, and peas are not as noisy as celery, creating a ‘peas-full’ dining experience.”
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