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True StoriesPhyllis B.
Popkin: Teacher/Author
Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve wanted to help people be happier. Because I was enjoying life, I wanted to learn skills that I could teach other people so that they too would be happy. This desire led me to a variety of activities after graduating from the University of Pennsylvania in 1959, I: 1. Became a wife, mother, and grandmother 2. Taught 4th grade in an inner city school in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, for 6 years 3. Served as President of the League of Women Voters of the Princeton (New Jersey) Area 4. Taught Parent Effectiveness Training (better communication skills) 5. Helped to organize holistic health centers in Princeton and in Charlottesville, Virginia 6. Appeared as Mary Poppins at schools and community gatherings to encourage recycling in central Virginia 7. Authored and self-published two books on trusting your intuition and using positive affirmations (Have You Seen Any Good Miracles Lately? and And That’s That!) 8. Presented speeches and three-hour workshops on stress reduction, joy, and intuition in several different states Although in my late 50's I was doing what I loved, I felt frustrated because I wasn’t doing enough of it. Also, so many people seemed to be suffering from too much tension, stress, worry, fear, and time pressures. But what could I, one person, do to relieve some of this negativity? The answer came in a most surprising way: from a simple phone call. It turned out to be one of the most important calls of my life! After scanning the latest Charlottesville Senior Center monthly newsletter, I decided to call Nancy Damon, the Center’s dedicated activities director. The following discussion ensued: "Nancy, this newsletter is marvelous - packed with dozens of exciting activities; but something’s missing!" "What’s that?" "Laughter! It’s all so serious." "Oh, are you going to do something about it, Phyllis?" "Who, me? No! I can’t remember a joke! My husband Arnie’s always been the jokester in the family. Get someone else." "Oh, come on, Phyllis. How about if I schedule an hour of humor one Monday morning? You could tell a few funny stories and the audience will tell a few." I wanted to scream, "No! It’s impossible!" But instead, followed my usual ritual: I excused myself for a moment, closed my eyes, relaxed, and "tuned in", seeking an answer based on love and what’s best for all concerned. "Yes!" came the answer and my head began to nod vigorously. I was upset, but felt compelled to proceed. (After hundreds of helpful "tune-ins," I’d be pretty stupid NOT to follow my intuition, wouldn’t you say?) So I consented. But now what? How could I acquire a skill that seemed so foreign to me? Focusing on the problem brought me back to my school days. Experience had taught me that the only way I could remember what I heard at lectures was to take good notes and study them. Would this technique work with jokes? To my delight, it did! Armed with excellent jokes provided by my husband, my presentation at the Senior Center was a huge success and I discovered I was a ham!!! People told me they loved my facial expressions, voice, timing, and laugh! Thank you, Nancy, for introducing me to my new career! Carrying a small notebook everywhere I went to record and memorize funny jokes and incidents was my saving grace. And thanks to Arnie’s extensive research on humor, I now speak to business and social groups of all sizes with confidence, excitement, and a wealth of funny material. Plus, I’m doing something unique. You’ve heard of "call-waiting?" Well, I now offer "laugh-waiting!" People ask me to send gifts to their relatives and friends all over the country: 15-30 minutes of jokes by phone (for birthdays, anniversaries, get well wishes, Valentine’s Day, etc.) Sitting in my mountain home in beautiful Nelson County, Virginia (30 minutes south of Charlottesville), surrounded by Pixie and Rocky, our two loving Shih Tzu dogs, I pick up the phone and make people laugh, thus helping them to lighten up and reduce tension. My dream has come true. And the girl who at age 17 would never have contemplated for a second being a joke-telling entertainer is now an enthusiastic comedienne at age 62, featured in local newspapers, radio and TV. It seems that all my life experiences have prepared me for this moment. What’s the benefit for society? If I (and other humorists) can stimulate people at conventions and gatherings - business, medical, civic, educational, and social to LAUGH AT LIFE and then RELAX AND HAVE MORE FUN, they’ll be more pleasant to everyone around them AND they will open the doors to their inner wisdom! Then we’ll get the answers to the awesome challenges facing us in the 21st century! What’s the benefit for me? In addition to finding out what I should do when I grow up, I can finally relax! I no longer feel driven by the need to push people to books, courses, and techniques which I think will be "good for them." I now believe that when people are READY INSIDE, they’ll be led to the things that’ll help them most. All I have to do as The Laughter Lady is learn more and more funny jokes and be ready to share them when asked. And I have such fun! I get to laugh repeatedly at the jokes I love; I’ll stay healthy because laughter is so healing; and I’m helping my fellow humans ENJOY THIS MOMENT instead of worrying about the past or future. Am I lucky, or what? My advice to readers is twofold: 1. Realize that every one of us has God-given talents that we may not yet have discovered. If you’re like me and believe that there’s always perfect timing, you won’t be surprised if you too start a new career late in life. So follow those little hunches or gut feelings. 2. Are you seeking a way to enrich a relationship? If so, consider the following: My husband and I are now laughing so much more each day, and loving it!. Because our antennae are always up - alert for humor in conversations, books, magazines, newspapers, radio, TV, the INTERNET, etc. - and we share these things daily, we’ve added another whole dimension to our marriage. We wish the same for you in your relationships. Have fun and call me when you need me! Getting Started The Laughter Lady, Phyllis Popkin
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Stories Copyright 2001 2Young2Retire.com, All Rights Reserved
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You’ve heard of the singing telegram, gorilla
greetings, or belly-dancers that deliver your birthday (anniversary, get well, etc.)
wishes to your family and friends. Now there’s The Laughter Lady, a new
"laugh-waiting" service created by Phyllis Popkin, 62, Virginia-based teacher,
author and community leader. And no one is more surprised to find her inner comedian than
Phyllis herself because she had always protested, "But I can’t remember a
joke." Well, she not only remembers jokes, she can deliver 15-30 minutes of them in
person or by phone. Here is Phyllis’ story.