Permanent Record

From elementary school to high school, the threat that scared me more than any other was the PERMANENT RECORD. Our teachers warned us that if we did not behave, our misbehavior would be put on our PERMANENT RECORD. Even more terrifying was that
my PERMANENT RECORD followed me everywhere.

Recently I went into the Records Department of my employer and asked to see MY PERMANENT RECORD." They looked at me as if I was crazy. I am not sure at all where my PERMANENT RECORD stopped. Was it in high school? Was it in college?

I thought that my PERMANENT RECORD was a large chart with JANA RUTH'S PERMANENT RECORD written on the top with everything I had ever done wrong written on it. I thought that probably my PERMANENT RECORD was just for school, but I wasn't sure. I hoped so, because during school I never misbehaved, but at home, that at times was a different story.

How did my PERMANENT RECORD get transferred from one teacher to another? I figured out that at the end of the year, under armed guards the records were transferred from your last teacher to the next. It had to be done during the cover of darkness and everyone had to wear gloves. There were only two people at one time that knew what your PERMANENT RECORD contained. Your last teacher and the next teacher.

We all knew kids that must have very bad PERMANENT RECORDS. They were always getting in trouble. And we all knew that any future for them was void. No college would take them, and forget getting a job, and for sure it won't be a good job. Many times I thought that maybe my thoughts might even make my PERMANENT RECORD. So I tried to even watch my thoughts.

Now I am sure teachers don't have the PERMANENT RECORD to threaten kids with. I think I most have lived in the good old days, because not only did we have the threat of the PERMANENT RECORD. We, also, had the atomic bomb that might drop on our heads. It is very lucky that at least we had DUCK AND COVER.

Jana Ruth
Author of "Laugh and Live Happier: P.L.A.Y.S. for Life
www.janaruth.biz
www.laughandlivehappier.com
www.laughingworld.blogspot.com

What Makes Me Laugh?

Disclaimer: This point of view does not necessarily represent the view of Jana Ruth, all the time, just today, Thursday, August 16, 2007.

Serious people make me laugh. And they are everywhere. Like being serious is going to help anyone. Where is it written that says being a adult has to be serious. Why? Since when is too much fun and playing, and laughing, bad for you? Never, is my answer.

As Victor Borge said, "Laughter is the shortest distance between two people." Laughter and humor are needed everywhere, especially at work. We, as adults, spend most of our lives at work, and we don't want to be looking at our watches and crying, "Oh no, I have only been here a minute."

We know from surveys that employees don't leave jobs they leave bosses, and workers are not fired because of lack of competence, they are fired because of lack of inability to get along with their co-workers. My guess is that these people, that employees leave, and are fired, are not the friendly, happy, having a good sense of humor people. My guess is that they are the REALLY serious people.

Humor and laughter in the workplace are important. They increase communications, build relationships, and reduce stress. Again, research shows that when people are having fun at work they are much more productive. Somehow serious and fun do not go along.

So what to do with all the serious people? I say laugh with them, and if that doesn't work, laugh at them. As, Bill Crosby, or someone like that, once said, "If you can laugh at them you can live with them." I don't want to live with them, just work with them. I say, "I have to laugh at you, or else I have to kill you." Maybe that's where the term, "Died laughing comes from?"

Jana Ruth
Author of Laugh and Live Happier: P.L.A.Y.S. for Life
www.janaruth.biz
www.laughandlivehappier.com
www.laughingworld.blogspot.com