Random acts of goofiness

Most, if not all, of us have heard of the “Random acts of kindness” movement, in which people do nice things for others simply because.  These acts benefit both the doer and the recipient of the kindness.  I would like to propose a variation of this movement—random acts of goofiness. 

Occasionally, when I have been feeling blue, something quite silly happens to lift me from my doldrums.  For example, a few years ago on my morning commute, I was listening to “Morning Edition,” known for airing silliness on April Fool’s Day but not generally as a part of its programming.  The two anchors in introducing a segment on eels broke into a rendition of “If a fish bites your thigh when it’s just swimming by, it’s a moray!”  This goofiness made my day.

In my last blog, I wrote of acts of “constructive mischievousness.”  I specified “constructive” as I am not a fan of practical jokes that cause pain or embarrassment, but I firmly believe in mischievousness or goofiness that brings a smile.  While the two singing anchors were not anonymous people on the street, the anecdote illustrates my intent.  So I encourage you to do something goofy—wear some silly clothing, hum a silly song, draw a silly picture on some office paperwork—you get the idea.

In the process of performing random acts of goofiness, don’t forget those random acts of kindness.  Perhaps, similar to the hopes of Arlo Guthrie at the end of “Alice’s Restaurant,” we can create our own goofy movement!