29 Comments
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Deborah L Reiser's avatar

very funny!

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Mark Dolan's avatar

Inspired to comment twice!!! Going to movies (Joy Ride) -- Trader Joe's in the parking lot. Walked through the store for a few items (don't think you can sneak in a bottle of cheap wine to the movies)-- old couple wanted help with their groceries -- checker rang the bell!!! made me smile and think of this story -- perfect -- something to do during the interminable previews.

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Good Humor by CK Steefel's avatar

That's awesome. Thx for sharing!

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Wry Welwood's avatar

Good things come in threes.

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Good Humor by CK Steefel's avatar

Yes! Thx for reading and commenting!

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Stephanie Losi's avatar

I love this article so much. I often have similar thoughts of doing something fun and non-apropos just for the heck of it, some people understand and some don't. I wish fun people ran the world :-)

"That’s right. I spoke to a stranger."

LOL

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Good Humor by CK Steefel's avatar

Hubby once worked at a start up where there was a VP of Fun. That was his title. That company lasted a year.

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Melanie Newfield's avatar

Loved this, thank you. I just love being inappropriate. Your post reminded me of what I love about hanging out with children.

Recently I got a chance to hang out with a five year old who loves plants and I remembered how much fun it is to teach botany to small children. I haven't done it for years, but it's just great.

You see, one of New Zealand's commonest plant has the latin name Coprosma. Well, technically, it's derived from Greek - "copro", which means poo. Yes, Coprosma basically translates to poo plant. You can imagine how that goes down with small children.

I once went for a walk with a friend and her son. A few days later she heard from the school. He'd been telling the other children about a plant named "the stinkiest poo plant". She was able to confirm that her son was giving the literal translation of the Latin name, as taught by a professional botanist. I was so proud of him. This is how young children grow up to be scientists.

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Good Humor by CK Steefel's avatar

That’s wonderful! I have to look up the poo plant.

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Samantha S's avatar

This one was so fun love love love !!

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Good Humor by CK Steefel's avatar

Thx for reading and commenting! Glad you enjoyed. ❤️❤️

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Alisa Kennedy Jones's avatar

Love this... I personally love being inappropriate. I figured my tendency was a mischief gene--inherited from my Gran. My kids were forever landing in Disney & FAO Schwartz jail--so they seem to have gotten it as well. The bell thing reminds me of how I once got super lost at Google in SF--the complex is so completely labyrinthine. I actually tried to use GOOGLE MAPS to find my way out of Google... but even THAT didn't work. Ultimately, I happened on a guy who knew the way out, but never have I come some close to ringing the bell (fire alarm). Lol :)

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Good Humor by CK Steefel's avatar

Thx for reading and commenting! Using google maps to escape google? There’s gotta be a story in there. ❤️

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Jeannine's avatar

I have ADHD. I'm forever three years old... my poor husband! 😅

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Good Humor by CK Steefel's avatar

Thx for reading and sharing! It's in our family too! hehehe

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Donna McArthur's avatar

I love that you knocked over the Chomps to get a picture of yourself with the bell! It's a great one, well done.

I have sucked at being three lately, except in my head when I am tantruming because I need a nap. Your exceptional post has made me aware that I need to be three much, much more often! One of my favorite ways to do that is to color, just hang out with the old Crayolas and a coloring book. I think I'm going to do it this weekend.

While you're right, that grocery-store-lady may have had too many responsibilities as a child and never learned to be 3, it's a great reminder that it is a skill we can all learn and practice. We lose the intention to have fun - speaking purely for myself as this issue is front and center right now while life is currently overflowing with responsibilities that I can't change.

Thank you for this great reminder to reset my intention. As usual you and your writing totally rock (but try not to get thrown in jail, I've heard their beds are uncomfortable and would be bad for your back!)❤

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Good Humor by CK Steefel's avatar

Thx for reading and commenting! I love that you color with crayons. Be sure to color outside the lines. 🥰

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Priya Iyer's avatar

I’m in my early fifties and feel a belated teenage rebelliousness now. It might just be me but I found this post super poignant.

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Good Humor by CK Steefel's avatar

Thx for reading and commenting! Glad you found the poignancy in this essay. Enjoy your rebelliousness. ❤️

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Mark Dolan's avatar

Carissa – I LOVED this a lot. There is so much here. This WHOLE story is about embracing the joy of fleeting thoughts that enter our heads every day. The ones that are a window to childhood should be enjoyed and seems you know the secret better than most. Maybe there is joy in nearly everything that happens around us every day. This post unlocked and reminded me of that all the way through. I tried to reread it with that in mind and my mind flitted around – fun and joy

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Good Humor by CK Steefel's avatar

Thx for reading and commenting! Enjoy those thoughts that flit in your head. 🙏🥰

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Wendy Parciak's avatar

Thanks for giving me my laugh for the day! I need to go find a bell to ring now.

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Good Humor by CK Steefel's avatar

Thx for reading and commenting! You will never look at that bell the same way again. 🤣😉

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Richa Vadini Singh's avatar

What a delightful read! I’m like the woman at Fred Meyer--I probably wasn’t three even at three.

Love your take on being inappropriate--it’s probably the only thing in the world that’ll qualify as truly anti-ageing.

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Good Humor by CK Steefel's avatar

Thx for reading and commenting! Yes, I admit, it’s the secret to anti aging. Forget Botox. Just ring that bell. Were you a responsible 3 yo?

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Richa Vadini Singh's avatar

I’m not sure about responsible, but I recall being shy, fearful, tentative, with a deep desire to go unnoticed for the most part. So I would never have been ringing the bell back then, but I hope to ring that metaphoric bell now, at a later stage, when I most desperately need an antidote to the dullness that takes over at my age.

Thank you for inspiring me to go find my bell! (And, of course, I’ll be on the lookout for the bell at Trader Joe’s whenever I’m back in the US. Never noticed it until now!)

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Michael Mohr's avatar

😂😂😂😩😭

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Anna Maria's avatar

Hysterical! Thanks for bringing out the giddy silly inner child! May we all ring the bell at the end of our next TJ’s visit! Ring the bell, slap the display, and run! 😂😂😂

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Good Humor by CK Steefel's avatar

Thx for reading and commenting! Happy to oblige your inner 3 yo. That bell has a whole new meaning. 🥰😘❤️

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