Time Flies Whether You Are Having Fun or Not

So you might as well have fun

This is my motto, but it vies with my Mother’s admonition to us,

“You will have fun whether you like it or not.”

She said this to tired, cranky children, and to mopey, angst ridden teens. So I heard it all my life. And whether we were complaining of aching feet at Six Flags, terrified to get in the water, or not sure about the appeal of a carnival ride, she was always right. Once we waded, jumped in, jumped on or overcame foot pain, we always had a blast.

Somewhere along the way I forgot her admonition. I became a young woman striving to make an impression in the business world, and that seemed very serious to me. Male clients made sexual and mysoginistic jokes. They challenged my authority. I was so happy to turn thirty, in hopes of being taken more seriously. Not that I was devoid of humor. I told one client who always told sexual jokes that, “You must not ever get any, since that’s all that’s all you think about.” His partner laughed, at least.

My business partner challenged me one day to be more fun. She claimed I was always serious. It wasn’t like we were in a field that deals with life and death. We owned an Advertising agency, and while we did pro bono work for some non-profits, we were largely shills for capitalism. Not really…