Life as a sitcom

This summer, in the midst of the heat wave, I have indulged in ‘90’s sitcoms. I had forgotten how much I loved the tidiness of 30 minute episodes- the characters share a laugh, encounter a challenge, and find a positive solution. If only life was always this tidy.

This year, in the midst of healing and personal growth, I have been drawn to comedies. I crave happiness and laughter, even the crazy antics.The more a series resembles I Love Lucy, the better. I love slapstick comedy. The laughter is so contagious, I have caught my dogs watching too.

A few weeks ago, while walking Raffy, I fell. But, as my daughter described it, it wasn’t like a normal fall, it was like when the Coyote and Road Runner fall off a cliff. One minute I was vertical, talking to B, and the next minute I was on the ground. The good news, I stepped right in the middle of the hole, so no broken bones, twisted ankles, or sprained knees. Just some bumps and bruises. My pride was pretty hurt, though. I was so embarrassed. I have no idea how I missed the hole. We were walking a path we walk daily.

I honestly have no idea what happened. One minute I was walking, the next I was on the ground. The only thought I had was to not let go of the leash. Sidenote, Raffy and Selina are fine, I don’t think they even noticed I fell. As I scrambled to my feet, I quickly looked around to make sure no one saw me. Then I hobbled home, holding the tears in.

I was so embarrassed. I wanted to die. But to be honest, I have no idea why I was embarrassed. I fell into an uncovered hole that was hidden by grass while walking my dogs with my daughter at 9 am. Nothing to be embarrassed about, but I was. So embarrassed in fact, that I avoided calling my apartment complex. B, however, knew how dangerous the hole was, and that I needed to call so that it could be repaired. I finally did. Much to my dismay, I had to talk to several people. WIth each conversation, I felt my face growing redder and redder.

The next day, I woke up with a swollen eye. Apparently, when I fell, dirt and dirty water got in my eye. This time, rather than being embarrassed about an accident, I embraced the situation. Let’s just say that my eye and face got a lot worse before they got better. At one point, I looked like Quasimodo. I embraced the situation and chose to live in a sitcom.

If I laughed at myself first, no one else could laugh at me. And by choosing laughter, my mood was lighter and I honestly think I healed faster. I took the opportunity to put laughter and positivity into the universe, not focus on myself. It was a long ten days. Yet in the pain, I learned a lot about myself. I was reminded how important the boundaries I had worked so hard to create are, how much I need time to work, be creative, and to be alone. Unlike a lot of people, my growth and healing happens when I am alone. I realized my appearance is important to me in so far as I look put together and professional, but I truly don’t care about anything else.

My point is this, most problems have a humorous side and when we actively embrace this humor, we are taking ten steps forward towards a positive solution, and more than likely we will learn something about ourselves along the way.

Sara Orellana lives in Oklahoma City and writes a weekly column for The Lawton Constitution.