Guess who I saw today?
Don’t know?
It was everybody I looked at!
Here’s another one:
What do you call a beehive with no door?
Un-bee-leave-able!
These are just two of the many jokes told by folks visiting Patchwork’s main office in recent weeks. They bring to mind a study that Gail regularly sites. The study found that good-natured banter and friendly humor are linked to lower stress, better mood regulation, and stronger social bonds.
Gail is our Tuesday Hospitality Host, and she serves up coffee at the kitchen window with a side of good-natured banter. She asks everyone for a smile as payment for their refreshments, and she gives just as many smiles in return. Gail suggests that if banter improves mental health, then her conversations with everyone at the kitchen window could be classified as part of the Sozo health ministry. I would tend to agree with her.
Laughter is an everyday part of life at Patchwork. There are the jokes and stories told in our main office, there is the bantering between the Hospitality volunteers and our guests, and there is the laughter among our guests as they visit with one another around the tables in our main room or on the benches outside our front doors.
It’s also a testament to the work our staff and volunteers do to keep the atmosphere at Patchwork friendly, personable, positive, and caring. It’s an indication that people feel safe here—safe enough to let their guard down, peel away their toughened edges, and laugh.