Every single person in this world can be placed into one of three categories.
You might think that that sounds like a scary generalization, but it’s a theory that I’ve held onto since high school, and I’ve yet to be successfully challenged.
There are three types of people, fun makers, fun takers and unfun people (often called unfunners).
A fun maker (fən mā-kər) is an elite type of person. No matter where this person goes, they’re having fun. Obviously, fun makers are great at parties and in social settings. But, fun makers are so wonderful because if they’re present, it’s always a party. A boring road trip? You know that fun maker has snacks and games up his sleeve. Waiting in line for a concert for three hours? The fun maker is ret to start a rowdy game of truth or dare. And, of course, a true blue fun maker rarely turns down a dare.
Then, there is the fun taker (fən tākər). The fun taker is truly a great person. At a party, a fun taker partakes in all the goodness the fun maker is creating. However, the fun taker lacks the initiative, or confidence, or creativity to be a real live fun maker. If there is no fun maker present, the fun taker often feels somewhat lost, and struggles to think of something to do. But when the fun maker rolls up (music bumping, obviously) the fun taker is ready to partake- and even a little relieved to no longer have the pressure of thinking of something fun to do.
Finally, there is the unfunner (ən- fən- er). The unfun people make me feel a little sad. You see, unfunners just cannot really have a good time. Sure, everyone can feel the fun in the right setting- perfect people, perfect activity, ideal climate, comfortable clothing, great refreshments…but the unfunner needs everything to be just right in order to have fun.
In middle school, when the fun maker would suggest that everyone play spin the bottle (classic and classy) the fun taker would gladly join the circle. However, the unfunner would be the one to say, oh I don’t know if my parents would want me playing that…Or, I don’t know, there aren’t a lot of people here that I really want to kiss…Or, is it really a good idea to spin a full bottle of red wine on that marble counter top? What if it breaks?
Someone whom I have never met, but I am confident he was a real fun maker in his day, is Dr. Seuss (please note, Dr. Seuss also happened to be a September baby…ahem!).
How could he not be? He wrote the craziest rhymes and still makes children all over the world smile. He invented Whoville, for goodness sake. He’s quite the legend and in Leonard S. Marcus’ new book, Minders of Make Believe, he talks about what it was like to work with the Seussical man, himself.
I’m just so grateful that people like Dr. Seuss blazed a trail for fun makers to come for years and years. But, if you think about it, how could he not be fun? He invented the super-zooper-flooper-do and the automatic doughnut-making machine. If you have one machine to clean your house and one to make you doughnuts, of course you’re going to have fun!
I just can't help but wonder how Dr. Seuss would have felt about spin the bottle...
“Today was good. Today was fun. Tomorrow is another one.” Dr. Seuss