Thankfully, it appears I haven't run out of options yet. Humor still exists in the world, whether that's through memes on current events, comedic podcasts (my current favorites being Steve-O's Wild Ride and Two Bears, One Cave), hilarious Youtube videos, and of course, movies. Most notably, I returned to the theaters for the first time since the pandemic began to see Jackass 4, and oh my God I still can't stop giggling about it from time to time.
Pretty much all of my anxieties and anger has subsided substantially since I saw Jackass in theaters, at least for the time being. I'm much more clear-minded and level-headed. I'm not only eating again, I've actually felt hungry for the first time in a long time, and I'm going outside and exercising as usual again. Of course, I can't help but keep a close eye on current events (most notably the shitshow that is the war between Putin and Ukraine, which is literally being livestreamed all over the internet), but I'm not falling for the bullshit the media's been hawking for clicks regarding nuclear war and World War Three (neither of which are likely, as we were much closer to nuclear armageddon in the 1990's than we are today).
Overall, I'm actually doing alright for the first time in a long time. All because I laughed my ass off at stupid shit in theaters for two hours straight, while my dad tucked himself into a ball in the seat next to me: something every dude in that theater was doing within the first ten minutes of the movie. My abs are still sore from all that laughter. I can't wait for the movie to be released on Amazon Prime or some other platform.
In the meantime, I still have podcasts, older Jackass shows and movies, Dumb and Dumber, and random videos on the internet to laugh at until I cry. Laughter is, after all, the best medicine. Whatever takes your mind off anxiety/depression/horrible shit in general in a positive way is good. Whatever defangs the problems you're facing, whether that's making fun of your own disabilities, or talking about them in ways that are absolutely hilarious (I highly recommend reading Jay Gironimi's book "Can't Eat, Can't Breathe, And Other Ways Cystic Fibrosis Has Fucked Me"), is almost as great as therapy. Just be mindful of your audience. It's best to joke about that stuff with those who also find such things hilarious (there's a reason why my mom outright refused to see Jackass 4 with me, but she loves Happy Gilmore).
Humor is one of many big reasons for why I've managed to live so long and healthy thus far. Prior to Trikafta, I would spend my CF vest/nebulizer treatments watching comedies that made me laugh until my muscles ached. Those deep laughs brought up loads of mucus from my airways, enabling me to cough it out. While watching things I found particularly hilarious, I could go through almost an entire box of tissues catching the mucus as I coughed it up and out. Perhaps, humor's why my abs were so visible growing up. Those near-daily comedy treatments were a real workout!
