about laughing

I love laughing. Not just polite laughing, but a proper belly laugh that I can’t control and makes my face ache. The kind that you can’t suppress. The spontaneous kind. The inappropriate kind – those are sometimes the best ones – the ones when you try not to, but can’t help it. I once shared a great laugh with a complete stranger when I was in a shop. Another bloke came in, tripped and fell flat on his face. After he’d stood up and hurried off (unhurt) the stranger and I looked at each other and both burst out laughing! It was a beautiful moment – and with a total stranger. It was years ago, but I still remember his grin had about 2 teeth! It was a lovely shared moment and it makes me laugh right now just remembering it. Good laughs are like that – you get to enjoy them again and again. Trying to tell someone else what it was like just doesn’t transfer the same amount of laugh-ability. Because you had to be there. But the laughing itself is contagious – I can laugh because you’re laughing!

Every man and his dog will tell you all the various health and wellbeing benefits of laughing – emotionally, psychologically, relationally, spiritually, physically. It re-adjusts moods and internal chemicals, reduces stress, burns fat (!) and has shedloads of other benefits.

One geezer, made this comment about humour:

“Humour can be dissected as a frog can, but the thing dies in the process and the innards are discouraging to any but the pure scientific mind.” (E B White)

I agree. Humour and laughing is a joy that can’t be examined too closely except to experience it and allow it to lift our spirits and benefit us all over. So let’s do our best to be light-hearted, fun people. Not too serious or dull and always be ready to laugh. It’s attractive too.

I’m amazed that the nature of humour is that I can remember, and re-live, and still smile and laugh about stuff years later. I still benefit from a moment in which my emotions erupted in the most wonderful expression of momentary joy, years ago! This principle of ‘remembered emotion’ works with unpleasant emotion too – like remembering a painful experience and feeling the emotion again. Knowing this, we might as well take advantage of it and bring the happy memories to mind - for our own benefit.

When was your last belly laugh? Want to tell us about it? Click ‘comment’ and share the joy.

(Note: this blog was in response to a topic request from one of you guys! So keep em coming!)