Raoul’s 2 Cents
Humor in Sickness
This week, it’s been hard to walk. I’m still sick. But I’m getting better. My doctor adjusted my meds, I’m going to a chiropractor tomorrow and on the 23rd I’m meeting with a cardiologist.
Getting up from a horizontal position to a vertical position takes at least a minute. And I take baby steps when I walk because I ache in different places. This can be a miserable existence but thankfully, I can laugh at myself.
You know the caricature of the old man in the Carol Burnett Show who shuffles and moves in slow motion? That’s me!
The pain wakes me up when I sleep. My wife was switching channels one night and I saw the name: John Malkovich. And I thought to myself, wouldn’t it be so silly and such a waste of my time if I made a poem about John Malkovich?
Wouldn’t you know it? The more I didn’t want to, the more I couldn’t help it and I DID conjure a poem in my head about that actor with the weird name. Here it is:
POOR JOHN MALKOVICH
A wicked witch gave John Malkovich a rotten sandwich.
He twitched and he twitched
Then he fell in a ditch.
Poor John Malkovich.
I’ve been feeling better and I think it’s because of your prayers. Many of you have written that you’ve praying. I read all your letters but was too groggy to respond (you know who you are — thank you!).
I think I am officially old. All the jokes about old people are suddenly very personal (but funny still). But who am I to complain? This is part of life. And maybe this is why God made people grow old: when you get older, your options are fewer… there are fewer mountains to climb. (I guess I have to give up my dream to dunk that basketball). You get to focus on the things that are most important — sharing instead of competing, loving your friends and (especially) family, and preparing to join the grand party in heaven. I’m really looking forward to it.
TGIF people! See you next week and the week after and several more weeks after.
Raoul
“For I am sure of this very thing: that the one who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.“
— Philippians 1:6
Joke of the Week
Thanks to Peter Paul of S Pasadena, CA
Parting Shots
Thanks to Mel of Washington D.C.
Thanks to Ray of Burbank, CA
Thanks to Tom of Pasadena, CA
Thanks to Peter Paul of South Pasadena, CA
People from all over the world send him jokes and Raoul sends those jokes back with his original sketches. 
Tom
April 9, 2021 at 3:16 pm
Thanks Raoul,
You put it very well what it is like to grow old. I will continue praying for you and hope you get better. The secret is to keep moving and with a positive mental attitude. Take Care
Tom
Rey
April 9, 2021 at 3:17 pm
Thanks, Raoul!
That Carol Burnett clip led to this one that might be your solution! LOL!
ENJOY!
https://youtu.be/LVgzOyHVcj4
Jacqueline
April 9, 2021 at 3:17 pm
Raoul,
Totally understand. Hiking I broke my ankle and foot. After 6 weeks of being on wheelchair, totally respect Handicapped signs for people who really need them. So what happened to you? I hope all is well and my prayers.
Jacqueline
Christy
April 9, 2021 at 3:18 pm
I hope you are feeling better soon Raoul.
Sending hugs your way!!
Christy
Jeff
April 9, 2021 at 3:19 pm
Raoul–How hold are you? I am 70. Just to give you a heads up, life isn’t the same after 40. No kidding.
You know, my brother Danny has an interesting sense of humor. I know he names his animals. They moved from Glendora to Bakersfield, and now, for 7 years have been in northern Idaho.
He told me he had 3 turkeys. So I said, ‘what dya name them?’ He said, ‘Thanksgiving and Christmas.’ What about the 3d. Well, he said, that one had a problem with one of his legs. He could only go right. OK, so what did you name him? ‘360’.
He also is full of wisdom. He said when you have a project you need 3 things, money, time and motivation. And you need all 3 simultaneously.
That’s all back ground for this:
His wife wanted him to build a horse barn (they have 10 acres) and he was trying to get it done before winter 2 summers ago. Getting the area cleared, and leveled and built and, and, and. I asked him this past summer, we went for a visit, how he was coming on the horse barn. He said it was way more work than he realized.
I changed it to a 5 year plan. And now I’m ahead of schedule!
Business is slow, so I don’t have time to write, should be cold calling, but this is more fun…
Now I forget what I wanted to write. It happens to me more often…Oh yes, I’m starting to get up there and I realized, I do have a bucket list. Not formally, but there
are things I’ve been wanting to do.
a Visit and tour the Reagan Ranch. Since I was in college, I just wanted to see the ‘western whitehouse’. I did. Bid on it at a fund raiser for STARS. Well worth it.
b.Another one, reminded of the season is to see the wildflowers bloom. There are several places from Yosemite south, down into the southern desert here in CA.
haven’t done that one.
By the way, your best friend Don (former business partner) made a good joke several months ago.
He was MCing Galileans, and people wanted to know how Cindy was doing. She had a rare/strange lung infection and had to be taken to the hospital by paramedics. Don said, she was so light, one of the firemen picked her up and carried her to the ambulance. And then he said, ‘One more thing off her bucket list.’
I still laugh over that.
Regarding your buddy ‘Odd’…I enjoyed that. I saw it coming, but still think it’s funny. I have a joke, that you might use. Only I forget it. I’ll have to call the guy who told it to me.
It’s no fun being sick. I’m sorry. It seems like various stages of it have been going on for awhile now. Any thing I can say is just trite and I’m sure has been said before. Just get well, gotta go to work,
–Jeff
Don
April 9, 2021 at 3:19 pm
When your felling that you are getting older then dirt its self, just look around and see all the people that are older then you. Two weeks ago I went to a birthday party for one of our vets. He was in a wheelchair but he could talk and tell us stories about D-Day when he was on Omaha Beach, he was 100 that day and still talking to all of us that would listen
Your not old, I was in the Cuban Missile Crises when I was 19 now I’m older then the world around me, but I’m still going.
Keep up the good work.
Don
Shag
April 9, 2021 at 3:19 pm
Raoul, I have been so busy that I haven’t been keeping up with this TGIF. I am so sorry to hear you are sick.I have added you to my prayer list.
I pray you start feeling better!
Affectionately,
Shag