Oscar Wilde once said, "It is a curious fact that people are never more trivial as when they take themselves seriously." The older I get, the more I realize the truth in this statement. As a whole, we are people that worry about portraying a certain image, fitting into a specific mold, and being accepted by society. However, we are also people that, on a regular basis, do incredibly stupid things. We make it impossible for others to laugh with us, forcing it to become a "everyone's laughing at me and I have to defend myself mercilessly" type of situation. Then, it blows up into something huge, because we fail to see that if we'd just laughed it off, it would have been forgotten about in a week. We invest so much time and energy into passive-aggressive Facebook statuses that we don't realize how uptight and ridiculous we look. People tip-toe around us, scared that they will infuriate or offend us by accident. Luckily, we are given a chance to prove that we do, in fact, have senses of humor as soon as someone else screws up and gives everyone something else to laugh about. Funny how it works that way, isn't it?
The truth is simple. We all just need to lighten up. I, for one, think that sarcasm is an art, and I would like to enjoy and appreciate it without having to explain it to someone I don't even know on Facebook. Seriously. I have had to learn to laugh at myself, because I have not always been able to see the humor in my own shortcomings, clumsiness, and poor decisions. In all honestly, though, it is not that difficult to do, because most of these things are legitimately funny. Laughter has become a powerful force in my life, one that has helped me heal and see the light in every situation. I have always been surrounded by funny people. All of my friends have incredible, genius senses of humor. When people pass away, I sometimes struggle to remember their voices. But, I can recall the sound of their laughs in an instant. It is something that sticks with me, pieces of them that I carry everywhere I go. It makes me feel close to them.
A while back, I was trying to get my massive dog, Jake, to get used to being outside on a zip line, so he could play outside without me worrying about a car hitting him or something. The first day, it started pouring rain while he was outside, so I went to get him unhooked from the line and get him inside. During this process, he got me all tangled up in the cord, so when he took off running across the yard, I was dragged behind him. I had mud inside of my shirt and shorts. There was even mud caked on my bra, because my shirt was practically around my head by the time he stopped running. I was one seriously disgusting hot mess, to say the least. I could have been furious and let it destroy my day. Or, I could do what I did, and laugh at my ridiculous reflection in the mirror. Naturally, I never went near that stupid zip line again, nor did my dog. Instead of adding to the list of times I had "the worst luck ever", it lengthened the list of hilarious stories I can tell my future grandchildren. Of course, this does not mean that I'd ever like to experience it again, because having mud in my hair once is more than enough for me. But, I can smile when I think about it. It's a small victory, but some days, that's all you have. And, if you really think about it, that is all you need.
Bill Cosby, one of America's most beloved and funny men, said, "Through humor, you can soften some of the worst blows that life delivers. And once you find laughter, no matter how painful your situation might be, you can survive it." Laughter is more than a healing mechanism; it is a survival mechanism, and an effective one, at that. I have seen it in action. In the moments of complete darkness and utter despair, it was laughter that made the clouds part and the sun shine through. Laughter, for many of us, became a painkiller. It made the unbearable bearable. It made us remember the best parts of the people we'd lost. It gave us a way to talk about the people we missed without upsetting anybody. Because of laughter, we all came together and remembered our loved ones with smiles on our faces. It showed us that happiness still lived in our hearts. One of my favorite verses is Philippians 1:3, which reads, "I thank my God each time I remember you." And, I do. But, I also laugh. I smile. I feel happy each time I remember them. That's the way I think it is meant to be.
The world will not stop turning if you offend someone or someone offends you. Time will not freeze if you laugh at something that others consider inappropriate. It is perfectly okay to laugh, even when you're grieving. It is okay to be happy. You do not owe anyone an excuse for it. Studies about laughter done by Bell Memorial Hospital in Indiana have proven that 15 minutes of laughter can add two days to a person's life span and offers benefits equal to those received by two hours of sleep. I have yet to find a study that proves that laughter has any negative or dangerous effects and/or risks. Plus, life is just funny, and anybody that is not taking advantage of the free comedy is really missing out. Tomorrow, before you start your day, listen to "Don't Worry, Be Happy" on your iPod, in your car, or on your computer. When you spill your coffee in your lap while rushing to work, try to see the humor in it. When your trip on the sidewalk in your fancy, new heels, make a joke of it. Like Frank Arduini said, "Don't take life too seriously. You'll never get out alive anyway."
1 comment:
Love this post.....and would have died to see the zipline episode with you and horse/dog.
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