Fun

This morning while eating my cereal-yogurt-fruit combo breakfast in front of the television, I clicked on our old movie station. There, for an instant while I waited for the commercials to go away on Channel 6,  I watched a man who delighted me when I was a child. Spike Jones. Even when I was a kid his movies were old, but watching him this morning for just a few minutes made me realize what the word FUN really means. This guy had it down cold.

For the un-initiated Spike was a man who could make music and mayhem out of almost anything; cow bells, pot covers, horns, goats. Yeah, in the movie I glimpsed this morning he pulled on a goat’s beard to hear the ‘baaaaa.’ He did it in perfect accord with the other intruments and was backed up beautifully by his zany fellow musicians. What a delight to watch! He ring-a-ding dinged and bing-bam-boomed all over the place.

His real name was Lindley Armstrong (1911 - 1965), but I’ll bet the fun in the man wouldn’t let that stand. Gosh, Spike Jones sounds so much more lively, don’t you think? Maybe it set the tone for what the rest of his life was going to be – making people laugh at the movies. He often used gunshots, whistles and weird vocals, too. And loving every minute of it no doubt.

Anyway, I’m determined today to have fun at least once. Maybe with my grand kids, maybe sharing a memory with an old friend . . . maybe . . . well, I don’t know right now, but I’m looking forward to it!

How about you?

PS: Thanks, Spike!

Image: Salvatore Vuono                                                Free Digital Photos