A look on the positive side
I don’t think it is possible to have just one favorite Tommy Cooper joke, as they are all brilliant and each one raises a smile no matter the amount of times I have heard them before. I fondly remember sitting snugged in with my Dad on the single sofa Chair watching either a Royal Variety Show at Christmas or Tommy Cooper Sketch allbeit his own show or a guest appearance on someone elses. I may not have understood all the jokes but the plain silliness of Tommy and my Dad’s reaction was enough to fill me with my own type of laughter and these memories to this day make me smile and think of my Dad who is no longer with us. It is these thoughts that counteract the sad thoughts, and unfortunately the sad thoughts are outweighed by daily good thoughts, so its a work in progress type of battle – I will get there eventually! Here’s one joke that I think of quite frequently, and also have heard a few months ago on the radio. It was on the Chris Moyles Breakfast Show on Radio X and Chris was doing his ‘Tommy Cooper Tuesday’ section. “I saw an old tramp walking down the street wearing one shoe. I said: “Hey, you lost your shoe.” He said: “No I found one.” It’s a bit similar in principle to the ‘Are you a glass half full or half empty’? type of person but this does get over used on the circuit when dealing and discussing depression and anxiety analysis.
In Tommy’s case he’s hit the nail on the head in two ways. One he has raised a smile by giving the punchline you weren’t expecting and two, has completely changed the outlook of having one shoe from a negative to a positive, i.e. the old tramp beforehand had no shoes at all. So from his or her point of view, the day is brighter than it started out.
I try (and I do and it’s not easy) to ‘take the positives’ and to ‘celebrate the small wins’ daily. It’s hard as my brain is like a computer and has pre-programmed responses to certain events, that ultimately need re-programming. (Another reference to the ‘Chimp Paradox’ Book). If I stump my toe, immediately, its ‘FFS’ and boom! The Jenga tower is crumbing from one knock and the roller coaster ride down is picking up speed fast and furiously! I try and stop the ‘FFS’ in it’s track and intercept the pre-programmed depression response, in an attempt to re-train my brain and change the course of the day. If only it was that easy…
It is hard but again it’s baby steps, but Tommy helps me along the way to make subtle changes for the better.
Thank you for reading.
I have done it! What a feeling, I have achieved something today, this week, this year. I have blogged today.
Have a good day!
The Depressed Accountant
I saw an old tramp walking down the street wearing one shoe. I said: “Hey, you lost your shoe.” He said: “No I found one.”