'Filled with things for our enjoyment'

 

“Your attitude is like a box of crayons that color your world. Constantly color your picture gray, and your picture will always be bleak. Try adding some bright colors to the picture by including humor, and your picture begins to lighten up.”—Allen Klein
 

Born in New York City on April 26, 1938 Klein is an American humorist, author and lecturer whose writings focus on the stress relieving benefits of humor.  His work in that field has led to myriad writings and 8 books.  And he is the recipient of The Association for Applied and Therapeutic Humor’s “Lifetime Achievement Award.”

 

Among his books on the effectiveness of therapeutic humor is the best seller The Courage to Laugh: Humor, Hope, and Healing in the Face of Death and Dying.  Klein also has edited numerous “Happy” books of quotations, including Always Look on the Bright Side and Positive Thoughts for Troubling Times.

 

The term Eternal Optimist might not be a stretch in describing Klein.  “The lesson adults can learn (from using humor),” he said, “is that the world is filled with things for our enjoyment.”