Have you seen the viral video of the dog running in his sleep?
Biscuit is his name.
Obviously dreaming,
He lays on his side and frantically pumps his legs like he's chasing a squirrel or something similar.
He then momentarily comes to his senses,
Wakes up in the middle of his run and bumps into the wall.
He doesn't seem injured,
But he looks confused and 100% silly.
I'm sure you've seen David answering questions as he comes out of anesthesia after a dental procedure.
You remember the little boy who asks,
Is this real life?
And he talks about how many fingers he has.
He then screams really loudly and says with heavy eyes,
I'm not tired.
David's dad is so sweet as he answers his questions and talks him through the confusion.
On last count,
The original video has around 140 million views.
How about the one where the lizard jumps on the news reporter?
Local news five thought it would be interesting to have a wildlife expert bring in local reptiles.
What they weren't expecting was for the lizard to jump on the reporter.
Hilariously,
The reporter wasn't expecting it either.
And he freaks out when the little guy leaps onto his coat.
After stumbling to the ground,
The reporter recovers,
Laughs at himself and tries to pull it together for the remainder of the segment.
Watching funny viral videos like these is a favorite pastime when my family sits down after a holiday meal.
And one of the best parts is that my three brothers laugh at everything.
It's a trait passed down from our dear dad,
Who also laughed at everything.
I admit the raucous laughter may sometimes reach a fevered pitch and potentially annoy a few wives who will not be named.
But no one can fault our contribution to the merriment of the holiday season.
So as you sit around with your family,
Stuffed and content this holiday season,
I offer you a suggestion that is sure to land you in good favor with the in-laws.
Pull up the latest hilarious viral video and give the gift of laughter to one and all.
And please be patient as your video loads.
If your internet connection is less than ideal and you end up waiting for a few seconds,
You may find yourself among the most patient of all internet users.
A study out of UMass Amherst finds that only 50% of internet users give videos 10 seconds to load.
And only 15% of users wait 30 seconds.
Can you believe that?
Out of the 6.
7 million internet users studied,
85% would not wait longer than 30 seconds.
That's only half a minute.
Imagine the mirth these users missed out on.
Cats scooting around on the carpet with their heads stuck in sandals or camels lovingly gnawing on toddlers' heads are just a few of the wonders these millions of impatient internet users may have missed out on.
Unfortunately,
This epidemic of impatience is not confined to watchers of viral videos,
But inundates our lives daily,
Tempting us to miss life's beautiful moments and miss out on fully experiencing the life that we've been gifted with.
So how about you?
Is impatience too frequent a visitor in your life?
Do you find yourself having difficulty waiting for things?
Maybe in a line,
In a car,
With friends or family?
And do you see opportunities there to practice patience and gratitude?
I do for myself.
And I encourage you,
Especially during the holidays when our patience often runs thin,
To see if you can set aside impatience for longer than 30 seconds and press into calmness.
I encourage you to appreciate the moments with friends and family and this precious gift of life.
And in doing so,
You may find the peace and freedom you deserve.
