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Speaker promotes value of humor at Chamber event
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Tom Joyce
Staff reporter
In an era when many folks are seeking a better life through fad diets and magic pills, a special visitor to Mount Airy has offered a simpler prescription: humor.
“I'm not a doctor - but I do prescribe at least one good belly laugh a day,” said Diana Fox, who spoke to a group at Cross Creek Country Club Thursday. During part of her appearance at a local Chamber of Commerce event, Fox assumed the role of another personality, that of “Eufola Bell,” a fictional character she created that resembles the late country comedienne, Minnie Pearl.
Normally an employee of the Iredell County/Statesville school system, Fox transforms herself into “Eufola” with the help of a comical straw hat with fake flower blossoms and other accessories to appear regularly at speaking engagements before various organizations.
The 23 years she spent as a hairdresser no doubt helped add to her rich repertoire of anecdotes and other material, which at times elicited uproarious laughter from the lunchtime crowd Thursday.
And while Fox generally pokes fun at Southern ways and people through ample helpings of colorful stories and comments, she was deadly serious about the value of humor in helping one cope with life.
“Humor is mankind's greatest blessing,” said Fox, quoting Mark Twain. She pointed out that man is the only creature on Earth with the ability to laugh, and that the God-given capacity to enjoy a joke or funny story represents a form of cheap medicine. Humor also helps one get through the inevitable rough times in life, according to the guest speaker, referring specifically to problems that can arise in a marriage or friendship.
“It sure goes a lot smoother when you can laugh them off,” Fox said, adding that when something happens, it's best to try to “just laugh about it.”
The colorful speaker implied that it is never too late for people to appreciate the value of a sense of humor, yet they shouldn't wait too long. “Life is like a roll of toiler paper,” she joked. “The closer it gets to the end, the faster it goes.”
A similar observation of Fox's was, “When a man finds greener pastures, he's too old to cross the fence.”
Another bit of advice was not “taking a sleeping pill and laxative in the same night.”
Fox, in the heavy Southern accent of Eufola Bell, also told the crowd how she had “reached a point in my life when my mind has come together, but my body is falling apart.”
But to improve herself, “Eufola” described how she had enrolled in a fitness class that required much struggling, twisting, pulling and stretching on her part. “And by the time I got my leotard on, that class was over,” she quipped.
In Forrest Gump-like manner, Eufola also relayed funny stories on such topics as sending e-mails, telling lies and getting stopped by a state trooper. In presenting these accounts, she substituted the names of local individuals including Mayor Jack Loftis, Surry Community College President Deborah Friedman and chamber official Greg Perkins, who seemed to respond good-naturedly Thursday.
Along with exploring humorous subjects, Fox - or Eufola - offered other philosophies about achieving quality of life.
“I have learned that making a living and making a life are two different things,” Fox told the crowd, saying that how much money a person accumulates should not be a measuring stick. “The worth of people is far more important than the wealth of people.”
The speaker also pointed out to the chamber gathering that there are three kinds of people: those who make things happen, those who watch things happen and those who say, “What happened?”
Fox said that the late Mother Teresa provided a special inspiration to her regarding making a difference in the world. Mother Teresa earned only about $200 per year, but “she gave everything she had back,” she said.
People might ridicule the motives of a kind person, saying they just want attention, or question an individual being too honest or have problems with someone who is too happy. But folks should be kind, honest and happy anyway, Fox said.
“People never forget how you make them feel.”
Staff reporter
In an era when many folks are seeking a better life through fad diets and magic pills, a special visitor to Mount Airy has offered a simpler prescription: humor.
“I'm not a doctor - but I do prescribe at least one good belly laugh a day,” said Diana Fox, who spoke to a group at Cross Creek Country Club Thursday. During part of her appearance at a local Chamber of Commerce event, Fox assumed the role of another personality, that of “Eufola Bell,” a fictional character she created that resembles the late country comedienne, Minnie Pearl.
Normally an employee of the Iredell County/Statesville school system, Fox transforms herself into “Eufola” with the help of a comical straw hat with fake flower blossoms and other accessories to appear regularly at speaking engagements before various organizations.
The 23 years she spent as a hairdresser no doubt helped add to her rich repertoire of anecdotes and other material, which at times elicited uproarious laughter from the lunchtime crowd Thursday.
And while Fox generally pokes fun at Southern ways and people through ample helpings of colorful stories and comments, she was deadly serious about the value of humor in helping one cope with life.
“Humor is mankind's greatest blessing,” said Fox, quoting Mark Twain. She pointed out that man is the only creature on Earth with the ability to laugh, and that the God-given capacity to enjoy a joke or funny story represents a form of cheap medicine. Humor also helps one get through the inevitable rough times in life, according to the guest speaker, referring specifically to problems that can arise in a marriage or friendship.
“It sure goes a lot smoother when you can laugh them off,” Fox said, adding that when something happens, it's best to try to “just laugh about it.”
The colorful speaker implied that it is never too late for people to appreciate the value of a sense of humor, yet they shouldn't wait too long. “Life is like a roll of toiler paper,” she joked. “The closer it gets to the end, the faster it goes.”
A similar observation of Fox's was, “When a man finds greener pastures, he's too old to cross the fence.”
Another bit of advice was not “taking a sleeping pill and laxative in the same night.”
Fox, in the heavy Southern accent of Eufola Bell, also told the crowd how she had “reached a point in my life when my mind has come together, but my body is falling apart.”
But to improve herself, “Eufola” described how she had enrolled in a fitness class that required much struggling, twisting, pulling and stretching on her part. “And by the time I got my leotard on, that class was over,” she quipped.
In Forrest Gump-like manner, Eufola also relayed funny stories on such topics as sending e-mails, telling lies and getting stopped by a state trooper. In presenting these accounts, she substituted the names of local individuals including Mayor Jack Loftis, Surry Community College President Deborah Friedman and chamber official Greg Perkins, who seemed to respond good-naturedly Thursday.
Along with exploring humorous subjects, Fox - or Eufola - offered other philosophies about achieving quality of life.
“I have learned that making a living and making a life are two different things,” Fox told the crowd, saying that how much money a person accumulates should not be a measuring stick. “The worth of people is far more important than the wealth of people.”
The speaker also pointed out to the chamber gathering that there are three kinds of people: those who make things happen, those who watch things happen and those who say, “What happened?”
Fox said that the late Mother Teresa provided a special inspiration to her regarding making a difference in the world. Mother Teresa earned only about $200 per year, but “she gave everything she had back,” she said.
People might ridicule the motives of a kind person, saying they just want attention, or question an individual being too honest or have problems with someone who is too happy. But folks should be kind, honest and happy anyway, Fox said.
“People never forget how you make them feel.”
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