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Since I am such a huge Seinfeld fan–I swear the script writers studied my life before crafting each episode–I thought I’d include an excerpt from Jerry Seinfeld’s book, “SeinLanguage,” which I own, of course. I try to exercise his wisdom and make people “break their face” throughout the day. Because many times I feel that’s more important than feeding them.
When I was a kid my father used to take me around with him in his truck. He was in the sign business on Long Island and he had a little shop called the Kal Signfeld Sign Co.
He really did.
I’d ride in the van with my sneakers up on the dashboard and it was there that I first learned one of life’s great pleasures, watching other people work.
In truth, there are few people as much fun to watch work as my father. There has never been a professional comedian with better stage presence, attitude, timing, or delivery. He was a comic genius selling painted plastic signs that said things like “Phil’s Color TV” and cardboard ones like “If you want to raise cattle, why do you shooting the bull?”
The thing I remember most about those afternoons is how often my father would say to me, “Sometimes I don’t even care if I get the order, I just have to break that face.” He hated to see those serious businessman faces. I guess that’s why he, like me, never seemed to be able to hold down any kind of real job.
Often when I’m on stage I’ll catch myself imitating a little physical move or certain kind of timing that he would do:
“To break that face.”
It was a valued thing in my house. I remember when Alan King would walk out on the “Ed Sullivan Show” hearing my mother say, “Now, quiet.” We could talk during the news but not during Alan King. This was an important man.
And I was proud to be the only kid in my neighborhood with a complete Bill Cosby album collection. He was my favorite comedian and the first black actor to star in a series. But to me, he was the first adult on TV to wear sneakers on a regular basis. I know that affected me, but I’m not sure in what way.
My father lived to see me start to make it as a comedian and he was always my most enthusiastic supporter. He taught me a gift is to be given. And just as he gave it to me, I hope I am able to give it to you.
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Therese J. Borchard writes the daily blog, Beyond Blue, on Beliefnet and is a regular contributor to the award-winning blog, World of Psychology, on Psych Central. Therese is the author of Beyond Blue: Surviving Depression & Anxiety and Making the Most of Bad Genes and The Pocket Therapist: An Emotional Survival Kit. Subscribe to Beyond Blue, visit her website, or follow her on Twitter @thereseborchard.
Meet others on the journey in
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Therese J. Borchard writes the daily blog, Beyond Blue, on Beliefnet and is a regular contributor to the award-winning blog, World of Psychology, on Psych Central. Therese is the author of Beyond Blue: Surviving Depression & Anxiety and Making the Most of Bad Genes and The Pocket Therapist: An Emotional Survival Kit. Subscribe to Beyond Blue, visit her website, or follow her on Twitter @thereseborchard.
posted November 7, 2007 at 7:50 am
Jerry is good for me, a dose of funny is terrific when it doesn’t cost me my life savings. I’m interested in humor as a powerful medicine. We all seem to know, intuitively, that laughter is good for the soul. The Bible validates that concept too. My daughter told me about a sermon she heard this weekend in which the pastor encouraged the flock to find a dozen opportunities each day to express gratitude. Maybe the two ideas can be intertwined – say Thank God under your breath every time you laugh, smile or grin and you can build up some Good Will in your Heavenly Bank Account.
I’m also really happy to see the way Jerry credits his father with being a humorist. The fact that Dad ‘taught me a gift is to be given’ tells me that Dad was a darned fine man and worthy of our admiration. We all need good role models and mentors in life. Anytime I can find someone who can laugh in the face of adversity or trouble, I figure I’ve latched onto a keeper. So rave on! Let’s be all about laughing with gusto every chance we get and try to be gentle with ourselves and others when the laughter doesn’t come easily.
Kind thoughts and prayers…
Frank,
posted November 7, 2007 at 12:30 pm
The amazing thing about Seinfeld the show, in retrospect, is how four so deeply flawed characters nevertheless tugged our hearts with their madcap New York humor.
None of them were remotely what you would call “a good egg.” (One reason the last episode laid an egg, because Jerry decided to use the finale to lay their flaws so bare.) Jerry was too fastidious, George was feckless, Elaine was histrionic (and yet the best of the bunch), and Kramer — the intrusiveness, the crazy inventions/ideas, the racism (oh, wait, that was his actor, Michael Richards) — need I go on?
Yet there was never a show like it before on TV, and I fear there never will be again. Which just goes to show, I guess that cracked pots (because none of them, except maybe Kramer doing something like inventing “the Bro” or making a recycling run with Newman to Michigan, was a “crackpot”) can be entertaining as well.
posted November 7, 2007 at 6:53 pm
IMHOThe reason we can appreaciate the humor of a Jerry Seifield or a Bill cosby is that they find their humor in real-life situations (the kind that would normally send someone with ‘creative wiring” hurtling into the abyss).It is indeed a gify, because i defy ANYONE to sink into the abyss while laughing! It can’t be done! The snakes are undoubtedly trained to strike out with their fangs at anyone who dare try to evenn crack a smile while in the hole.I think i may have even seen a sign posted forbidding humor in that place on occasion, and I KNOW that a good belly laugh will pull me up whenever I seem to be trapped there for any length of time! It’s better than my antidepressant in terms of rescuing me.