I remember sitting in my “man chair,” a while ago, and one of my exes said to me, “Ulysses, do you have fun? I mean, is everything just about work with you?” I even had a friend say to me “I love your blogs, but do you laugh?”
It made me think.
I only laugh when I am in the company of my dear friends and family. And my sister, Iris, gives me stomach pains from laughing so much because she is low-key a comedic genius. However, what was alarming about these questions, was that people assume that I don’t enjoy my life because they don’t see me laughing, or sense that I have the ability to laugh.
When I was a young kid, my mother used to say to me that I was a little old man. She would say that I had an old soul. I am incredibly analytical and methodical, to a fault. I’m telling you that I will find a way to analyze a bag of Skittles. But, everyone in life is different, and the way we approach life has a lot to do with our perspective.
Since I was younger, I was always serious about music; then when I was in grade school I became serious about music and girls. Then in high school, I became serious about music, girls, and moving to New York City. In college, I became serious about New York City, Jazz, one particular girl and ministry. It goes on, and on!
One of the things I love about being in Florida is being surrounded by my family and friends, and that environment, produces much joy for my spirit. When I am in NYC, my friend Frederick says hello, and I immediately am in tears from laughing until I leave his house.
I guess that means for me, I choose when I allow myself to relax, which is something that I am starting to understand is just as pertinent as being serious. I know that I have a purpose, and that purpose has me in focus mode consistently. But I accept every question as a challenge, A challenge to know that I must seek to enjoy all facets of life with balance.
I will challenge myself to laugh more, and to let the joy that is within me, radiate more, so that the next time someone asks, “Do U Laugh?”, I can know that my life is full of laughter, and I might even be laughing at them, andtheir question.
