Schemes Hopeless, and Schemes Delicious

"Nothing is more hopeless than a scheme of merriment," quoth Johnson // Sam (or did he sign 'Sam : Johnson' ?) the august assembler of the first English dictionary, wit, contrarian, amusing snob in the 1700s from whom derived the still oft used acronym TIPS: 'To insure prompt service.' He was clever and made more famous than he might have been otherwise by his biographer whose name I have no intention of ever remembering. 

Plays, movies, sitcoms, standup comics, and birthday parties are successful or not in providing "merriment" depending how studiously created are their "schemes." I enjoy quarreling with Samuel Johnson, Gentleman, because he was idle, drunk, and fat, and said of the sublime Paradise Lost, "Nobody ever wished it longer." With this famous, oft repeated witticism, the writer immediately places himself, and not Milton, front and center, and who dare contradict him? given the potency of his barbs and opinions and putdowns?

One's private merriment can also be willfully created. The trick is to get off it regarding your negative judgments about acting and actors and practice preparing for the daily stage appearances of one's active life, even if that activity is done solo in the house all day. We create our experiences. Even those sudden shocks unexpected can be processed for merriment. Well, that's my opinion; there are those, including myself sometimes, who turn down merriment, and go instead for high drama, and rending one's raiment.

I must at this juncture give up the word processor to another family member. I'll revisit this subject. Sudden changes of plans are not exactly merriment are they? Ha!

Barry