Humorville: Where Everything You Do Is Right

I spent a fun-filled afternoon at Humorville this past Saturday. I really did not know what to expect, as the website did not give much information about the event. It stated that you “got to know and appreciate yourself better in a playful, genuine, and generous atmosphere.” And I must say, Humorville definitely delivered in spades.

I arrived at the small space on Meserole Street in East Williamsburg, Brooklyn, and met Fred and David, two fellow members of Fountain House. We were warmly greeted by the Jester of the Peace, Barbara. I immediately felt comfortable, as she has an extremely warm and enthusiastic nature.

Barbara informed us that we were now citizens of Humorville, “where everything you do is right.” We were then asked to choose the one thing we wanted more of in our lives and were told that we would explore it in various different ways.

We visited five different places in the town. In the public library, we related a difficult situation from our past in which we can now see the humor. In the post office, we sent a letter to ourselves from our chosen theme. We married ourselves in the marriage bureau and took a vow to let more of what we wanted into our lives.

Then came the telephone company, where we left a voicemail to ourselves from—yes, you guessed it—our chosen desire. We last visited the board of elections, where we were sworn in as President, and we all made a speech about what we would do during our terms in office. Then we were asked to write a love letter to a future visitor of Humorville and to choose a letter from a fellow participant to take home. If the letter didn’t feel appropriate, we could keep choosing until we found one that did.

All of these activities were presided over by Barbara, who eagerly encouraged us to be open and enjoy ourselves. I had so much fun and felt that I learned a little more about myself. I encourage you all to visit Humorville, a place of whimsy, humor, and positive energy, where you get to explore your dreams and feel that you can make some of what you want actually happen.

All of this was made possible by Dan Frey, who invited us there. We are so lucky to have him as part of our community. If you would like to take part in a future Humorville trip or learn about other events, please contact Dan at 929-884-3564 or Daniel.frey@fountainhouse.org