Where The Hypnotic Story Was Born

 I had found myself in an unusual situation. How I got there is not important right now. What was important was how I was going to survive the next three weeks with my sanity intact.

 I was in a little cabin way up in the mountains with my two daughters, Evan and Alora. These were two  energetic and curious children aged eight and eleven prone to squabbling in a most annoying fashion when bored. The cabin was very small and it was cold outside. There was no television and three long weeks over christmas vacation to go before they were to begin classes in their new school.
My marriage was on the rocks and my husband was over a thousand miles away in Ontario.

 I felt very alone and very frightened but kept reminding myself moral was everything and needed something to entertain the children. I knew how important it was for them to keep their spirits up. But how?

 My father was a man with a talent for telling a good story. He had been all over the world doing exciting things in strange places. So many things he has told me has come in quite handy in tight situations. This is why I am grateful for this little anecdote he shared with me years before...

 He was in Africa somewhere remote having a chat with one of the natives who told my father about a great story teller who was visiting their villiage. Then he asked what English people did for entertainment.

 "We watch television" My father replied.

 The native man did not know what television was so my father explained "It is a box that tells stories every day, all day long"

 The native was impressed "Your people must have very many stories" he said.

 "No." Dad answered."We only have a few, we just keep thinking of different ways to tell them"

 I love Dad. He was such a smart man.

 Anyway. This gave me an idea. I would become the tribal storyteller to keep us from getting cabin fever and going cannibal. When the TV arrived I was sorry the adventure was over.

 For hours every evening my children and myself lived imaginary lives of action, fantasy, and adventure through our favorite characters Sue and Angie. I will not share too many details of their journey to save the world for most of these things will be used in the hypnotic bedtime story series with you as our hero.

 The children were cheerful and well behaved for this earned them extra story telling time in the evenings and to this day we remember our time together in the little cabin in the mountains fondly.
They have nagged me to write this story down and publish it for years but I'm not so sure writing is my forte. I was a little nervous to begin telling this story to people who don't know and love me but I am feeling very encouraged by the positive feedback and attention these videos have attracted.

 I have so enjoyed making these videos for as I take my listener on a journey to magical places extraordinary, I am going with you. Telling a story is a lovely way to spend and evening. I am grateful for the audience. Thanks for reading this. Have a great night.

Are We Having Fun Yet?

Why The Funnies?
 Nothing kills a joke quicker than analizing it but I'm going to get scientific about laughter just the same.
 We have an amigdala. Each and every one of us has one. It is like a little switch inside our brains between our frontal lobes and the rest of our grey matter. I think we are the only animals in the world who get to have frontal lobes. Alot of the time we don't use them much. That's too bad.
 Frontal lobes are big chunks of very smart brain and they are very good at feeling joy, peace, kinship, and much more wonderful stuff. Laughter flicks the switch.
 When we can laugh at ourselves, our situation, or something silly, we are better able to cope with life's upsets, or just enjoy a better quality of life when things are going well.
 I have found it abundantly useful to be able to laugh at myself. For example, I have been a little shy about writing because I don't think I am very good at it. I may have been once but that was a gazillion years ago. I would not be able to write what you are reading right now if I did not take a moment first to chuckle at myself and think "I have no idea what the hell I'm doing but I'm doing it anyway and nice people show up and look at my stuff and most of them are adorably forgiving and say 'That's ok Jody. You keep learning. You don't have to be perfect"

 I love doing the funnies. I did Sleep Hypnosis for Children when I was annoyed at one of my kids. I can't remember what was bugging me now but I do remember leaving my room feeling cleansed of all maternal frustation. Even right now as I toss around ideas for my next "funny" I am smirking and chuckeling. I'm in a better mood just thinking about it. We are all just visiting in this world. Stuff like this helps us enjoy the stay.

 Funnies are risky. Sometimes what I think will be funny just comes across as stupid. I think looking stupid once in a while is a small price to pay for the joy I feel when I hear I have made someone laugh. I laugh again vicariously. It's all good.

If you have been following these blogs at all you may notice they are getting a little longer. I am getting braver. Learning in public is scarey but if I wait till I'm good enough to avoid all scorn, even my own, I won't ever learn how to do this and I love doing this.

I still haven't lost my sence of awe at the internet. All these hearts and minds comming together and available at the touch of my fingertips, quite frankly, blows my mind. Every view, comment, email, ect. is a living breating spirit and I am humbled and thrilled. I just can't get over it.

 But here I am supposed to be talking about humor and can't think of anything brilliantly funny about it so I go off on one of my "let's love everybody" spiritual adventures. It started with a giggle thinking about ideas for funny videos, the switch gets flicked, and I am just goofy, happy, in love with the universe and every living thing in it. It's a good feeling.

Here is your advice from the blonde. Find stuff to laugh at. It's good for you.

Thanks again for your patience. You are a good person. Love always, Jody.