Comedian Yakov Smirnoff. Photo courtesy of Branson/Lakes Area CVB
Yakov Smirnoff. What a comedian. And what an uplifting show! The Russian-immigrant-turned-naturalized-U.S.-citizen had an audience of natural-born Americans in fits of laughter about our country and our silly selves – “you know who you are…” His humorous and poignant accounts of experiencing America as a new immigrant jostled us into seeing what we take for granted. And it stirred a keen appreciation for our freedom, abundance and well-being.
While he had hundreds of people laughing and receptive, he shared his philosophy of life. This is what I heard:
- “You see what you seek.” See the good and positive in a situation no matter what it may be. (He used a heart-wrenching example from 9/11 to emphasize his point.)
- Love.
- Laugh.
- Literally tickle and let yourself be tickled by another. (I won’t try to explain it – you’ll have to see his show.)
His message, relayed through rib-tickling laughter, is so simple. And it’s so powerful! So why do we find it difficult to live this way?
If you come to Branson, give yourself the treat of spending a couple of hours with Yakov!
Rose, I’ve just been reading through your posts. Good to catch up with you via the blog. And yes, Yakov’s message is simple. I think the problem is that I complicate it too much. Best to David.