Just a few days ago, I wrote what I thought would be a convincing entry about the inability of AI to possess or use a sense of humor. Although some comedians and humorists seemed to doubt the present capacity of this technology to achieve that pinnacle of human sentience, a greater preponderance of social thinkers now seem resigned to the opposite: That AI will develop a sense of humor that goesMORE...
Based on my mind-melds with doctors whom I follow mindlessly—I’m talking Drs. Oz, Phil and Seuss—I am convinced that my psyche needs more pity. Raw, unadorned sympathy—the kind that has others thinking, “I may have it bad, but look at that miserable Bob Sitze—How does he find any joy in life?” To help elicit your kind commiseration, these details: Because I wear a mask for untold hours, I have toMORE...
I once had the good fortune to meet a pastor who loved writing limericks. This was no small undertaking; he had honed his skills to the point of constructing sermons comprised entirely of limericks! (I am not authorized to disclose this pastor’s name because his identity is being guarded by our denomination’s Limerick Pastor Protection Program.) It’s possible that limerick-writing might beMORE...
This entry begins a three-part series inspired by a quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson: BE SILLY. BE HONEST. BE KIND. This helpful reminder is the message on a magnetic bumper sticker that was the gift of another workshop leader at this past year’s 50Forward retreat at Lutheridge Camp in Asheville, NC. Thanks, Laura! From the time I was a youngster visiting shut-in’s with my mother, I learned thatMORE...
Brian Crane, creator of the syndicated cartoon strip Pickles, has a knack for finding the whimsical side of older adult married life. His two main characters, Earl and Opal Pickles, live in retirement with their eyes trained on what’s humorous about being together for over 50 years. Crane’s characters are able to find what’s quirky and playful about this stage in life. The insights of theirMORE...
Here’s a personal question: Has anyone ever told you that it’s good when you’re silly? If YES, you’re likely surrounded by people who understand the original meanings of this term in Old English, Norse and German: blessed, happy, prosperous, blissful, of good mood or kindhearted. In those earlier versions of personified hilarity (joyfulness), being silly was a mark of good character. A sillyMORE...
BOB SITZE has filled the many years of his lifework in diverse settings around the United States. His calling has included careers as a teacher/principal, church musician, writer/author, denominational executive staff member and meat worker. Bob lives in Wheaton, IL.