No More Posts

I have decided not to post any more on this little vanity blog. Instead, I will offer the occasional opinion or suggestion about fun at work on Facebook. Thanks to everyone who has stopped by. I hope some of the ideas and comments have been useful.

For the record, the most viewed post(s) was about library limericks. Here are a couple of the links:

http://humorinlibraries.blogspot.com/2015/05/edward-lear-creator-of-limerick.html

http://humorinlibraries.blogspot.com/2015/04/i-like-limericks.html

http://humorinlibraries.blogspot.com/2010/10/library-limericks.html

What have I learned (other than I actually have a tin ear for limericks)?

• Work is hard and there is no way around it.
• But, there are physiological and emotional benefits to fun at work.
• Fun is usually better if it originates from the bottom up, not top down.
• Fun happens all the time, between colleagues and within work groups.
• It is good if leaders model or at least give tacit approval to fun at work. Not all the time, mind you, but there are occasions that just beg for a little play - birthdays, organizational accomplishments, special days, i.e., National Donut Day or Wear a Funny Hat to Work Day or Sparkle Day (thanks to Paula Popma for this one), etc. You can create your own event.
• Sometimes planning a fun occasion can be as helpful as whether it is successful (depending on how you define success, of course).

In any event, I wish you well, and let a smile be your umbrella, unless it is raining, in which case you will get very wet :)

Fun at the barbershop

I took dad to the barber shop. It was a quiet day, and soon only one of the two barbers was busy. The other one - the barber not cutting my dad's hair - picked up his guitar, which was conveniently at hand, and began playing songs that we knew, or thought we knew, and just like that a sing-a-long broke out. Sometimes we had the words; sometimes we just hummed; occasionally a passerby would stick his/her head to see what they were hearing and smiled appreciatively; and before we knew it 10 minutes had passed, my dad's hair was high and tight, and enjoyed a spontaneous moment of fun at work.

This can't happen everywhere or every day, but when it does, everyone benefits.

So next time you have a momentary lull, break out your guitar, ukelele, kazoo, etc., and give you and the people you work with and for, an unexpected treat. I think they'll thank you!

Fun Food

When I go shopping - and yes, I do occasionally shop - I always include a line item for Fun Food. What this is varies according to my mood and what is available in the store. Cookies, Ice Cream, It's It bars, Sweet rolls, etc., have all qualified at one time or other.

So, why not have a Fun Food Party? Each person brings in his/her favorite fun food and co-workers and colleagues nosh their way through the tasty treats.

And, if fun food is too restrictive, you could expand to Comfort Foods - mac and cheese comes right to mind - and really make a day of it.

Bon appetit!

Millions of reasons to celebrate

The San Francisco Giants just celebrated the 50,000,000 person to come to a game at their home field. There was a big brouhaha and much ado and feting of the lucky individual.

Most organizations have similar milestones available to them. The millionth search; millionth interlibrary loan; millionth customer; etc. I think these are all worthy of celebration and are probably very easy to arrange. When I was a Santa Clara University, it was easy to figure out when the 1,000,000th search on out catalog was done. At 999,990 I began to count down and when I saw the milestone search I went to the reference room and casually asked who had done a particular search. When I found the person I congratulated her and had her picture taken and made as much of a fuss as I could. She felt great; so did I.

So much of what we do we take for granted; it is the nature of business. But when the opportunity arrives to cheer and especially to involve a customer/client in the process I don't think that opportunity should be forsaken.

So go ahead. Get some balloons; a camera; a special award; and make that millionth of whatever sort the big deal that it is.

Tom Swifties

The theme in this morning's (5/18) New York Times crossword puzzle was Tom Swifties. Do you remember these. They were once a fad of terrific proportion. For example: 

"And that's another plus for you," said Tom positively.
"Can't we get this balloon to fly any faster," said Tom blowing hot air.
"I can get there faster than you," said Tom swiftly.

(See http://www.fun-with-words.com/tom_swifties.html for more examples.)

In any event, it could be fun to create these little puns out of your workplace environment. 

"I'll help you find that source," said the librarian searchingly.
"I can negotiate the contract," said Tom tactfully.

You get the idea. It's a game for one and all, and the winner can say, "I won," triumphantly!

May 14th - Chicken Dance Day

Okay, you know what you have to do on Chicken Dance Day.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOgC5ZwaMwI

As the lyric says: "Do the chicken dance; make you happy for sure."

Edward Lear - Creator of the Limerick

May 12 is the birthday of the wonderful Edward Lear, creator of the limerick. In his honor, and with all suitable apologies to his skills, I offer the following trifle.

May 12 is the birthday of Edward Lear,

Who deserves a most rousing cheer,

He developed the trick,

That lead to the limerick,

A poetic form that we now hold most dear.

For more on Mr. Lear: http://www.biography.com/people/edward-lear-9376108