Seven Days Without Laughter Makes One Weak

I have found a new past time.  It eliminates stress and gives me hope and a brighter, cheerier outlook on life; I even read in the paper last week that it could be good for one’s health – I already know it is good for the soul.  I wish I had the where-with-all to discover this great invention when I was younger, it would have saved much heartache… I have learned to laugh at myself.  Laughter -- An interior convulsion, producing a distortion of the features and accompanied by inarticulate noises.  It is infectious and, though intermittent, incurable.

I am not talking a slight snicker, but an all out belly laugh at some of the things I blatantly, seemingly with an out of body experience, having no control of my actions, do.  I admit that many of these faux pas are age related (saying that out loud is half the battle and the first step to my recovery) and the other gaffes, I must concede, might have joined my rank and file during those most formative years and they decided to stick around because I thought it was a part of being “grown-up”.

Not taking oneself so seriously is a big job.  In contrast to the usual society pressure that this laughter and fun could be misconstrued as immature (which I never quite understood – what exactly is maturity and tell me again why I would want to be mature – sounds painful, rather fruitless, takes way too much effort to maintain and screams “middle-age” – oh, and did I mention, totally unproductive?), I have deduced that if I don’t laugh at myself, I may cry – and we all know that is not the least bit attractive (the runny nose, the smearing of the mascara, the puffiness in the eyes, the tear stained cheeks– not appealing at all).

Being slow on the uptake, I am glad to finally join the legions of people before me who have embraced their foibles and made light of them.  I have found much written about the influence of laughter.  Folks have tried for centuries to share the wisdom from this fountain of youth: “You don't stop laughing because you grow old.  You grow old because you stop laughing.”  They have expounded upon its medicinal purposes -- “Always laugh when you can.  It is cheap medicine.”; its philosophical insight--“Laughter gives us distance.  It allows us to step back from an event, deal with it and then move on.”; its romantic prowess -- “Laughter is the closest distance between two people."; and its pure common sense -- "I am thankful for laughter, except when milk comes out of my nose."  With all of these benefits and at my kind of price (free for the taking), why I never caught on to such an activity that is not only frivolous but also therapeutic, is beyond me.

I am pleased to report that along with the exploitation of your own idiosyncrasies you get “happy” wrinkles.  The once detested little lines that give your face personality now have a reason for being.  I was once told that the crinkles that permeated my face were a good thing as they were caused by the contortion caused by much smiling and laughter – I took that as a compliment.

Go ahead; laugh (out loud and often!)… it makes people wonder what you are up to and it gives them license to laugh too… plus it is a whole lot more fun to have folks laughing with you and not at you.

Cynthia A. McClelland, curious observer of the obvious with interpretations of the oddities of daily life. Mother, wife and lover of the furry, resides in the north Lake Tahoe area.

Cynthia A. McClelland © 2003-