90: When All We Can Do Is Laugh

“….The Stage which was not for low Farce design'd,
But to divert, instruct, and mend Mankind.”

This week, I’m reading from the play The Modern Husband by Henry Fielding, published in 1732.

Reflection Question:

There are times when stress is only relieved with a bit of dark humor.  How will you gather with your community of friends and colleagues to laugh in the face of the absurdities we face in our fund development work?

Reflection on the Recorded Quote:

There are days that if we are not laughing, we are crying. Those are the times for a bit of dark humor.

When our work feels like a dark comedy or a nightmare, we can remind ourselves that past generations faced similar challenges.  They too saw folly perceived as brilliance.  This is why in 1732 Fielding wrote, “a rich man without charity is a rogue, and perhaps it would be no difficult matter to prove that he is also a fool.” 

This work has entered the public domain.

What do you think?

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Music credit: Woeisuhmebop

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