Have You Laughed Today?

Seems like a relevant question I think.  Certainly it’s as good as any other question I might choose to begin a blog post with.  And for me, what makes this the question of the day is the re-realization that laughter really is a good thing.

They say that laughter is the best medicine.  And I gotta say, it’s definitely more tasty and palatable than some of the meds I’ve taken in my lifetime.  And I know for a fact that the most excrutiating tension headaches can be relieved by a good, deep belly laugh.  You know the kind of laugh I’m talking about; the laugh that comes about when you’re watching great stand-up comedy — nothing crude or offensive, just pure humour.

When was the last time you laughed like that?  Have you laughed like that today?  Heck, have you laughed at all today?  And I’m sorry folks, but a gentle giggle simply isn’t good enough.  I’m talking about a good, whole-hearted laugh.

Now, admittedly, when you’re in the throes of brain-draining work, it can be hard to see the need for laughter, let alone find something at which to laugh.  The thing is, though, I think it’s important to bring on the laughter before the “need” for laugher arises.  That moment when you’re caught in the vortex of brain-draining work is exactly when you need to release some tension, before it gets caught in your shoulders or stomach or manifests as that aforementioned tension headache.

Not sure how to laugh?  Granted, forcing a laugh can be tricky.  So let me share something I discovered this morning.  You know the song “There’s a Hole in the Bucket”?  It’s the song where Henry wants to get some water, notices a hole in the bucket, asks Liza what to do, and thereafter ensues a whole back-and-forth banter of how to deal with the hole in the bucket, which goes in a circular fashion until they’re back at the point where there’s a friggin’ hole in the bucket.  sesame Street did a great skit of this when I was a kid.  Anyhow, what I discovered is that, if you sing this song with a certain amount of inflection you really can’t help but laugh.  It’s just not possible to be stoic in the face of the pretzel that gets created in this simple song

Need more strategies?  Buy a joke book and keep it on your desk, subscribe to a joke-a-day website (there’s got to be a few online), keep a copy of your favourite sitcom on DVD nearby, or better yet, as Cheryl Caldwell says “ask a 5 year old to skip; it’s hilarious.”

I guess what I know for sure is that kids can find a way to laugh at almost anything.  And laughter is contagious.  And laughter is the best medicine.  So it behooves us to reconnect with our childlike wisdom and joy and laugh a little.  When it comes right down to it, a day without laughter is bound to be less than fulfilling.  Dem’s my two-cents worth.