A view of laughter from one of our on-line members. He happens to be my brother-in-law. He wrote an article in this paper after spending some time here. Far away places with strange sounding names...
As a youngster I was hooked on reading funny stories found in “Laughter, The Best Medicine”, a regular column in the “Reader’s Digest.” This led to my adoption of the title of the column as my mantra, as I truly believe that laughter’s, indeed the best medicine for whatever your ailment may be.
No doubt living in Trinidad and Tobago, and by extension the Caribbean, contributed vastly to this fixation with laughter, for as any West Indian will tell you, we island people have a knack for seeing humour in everything (and I mean everything). We have even perfected the art of laughing at ourselves!
“Your sense of humour is one of the most powerful you have to make certain that your daily mood and emotional state support good health,” says Paul E. McGhee, Ph.D. To this, I can attest, as laughter for me is a powerful antidote to stress, pain and worry. Nothing works faster or better to bring my mind and body back into balance than a good laugh. Humour, you see, makes light of my burdens, inspires me with hope, and keeps me properly focused.
An essential trait, though, that helps us laugh, and enjoy its many benefits, is not taking ourselves too seriously. We are all acquainted who go through life without cracking a smile. To them, life is one big onerous burden to carry, with any form for frivolity. The fail to grasp the concept that in the grand scheme of things we, mere mortals fade into insignificance, hence the need to “lighten up.”
And while some occasions may not seem appropriate for laughter, we ought to remember that events in life do not have an “attachment” of either sorry or joy. They are just ordinary occurrences that give us the choice to laugh or not to laugh. But, really, should we laugh during difficult times? During tough times we may think that laughter is inappropriate or an indication that we are not as serious as we “should” be. My belief is that it is in tough times that laughter is especially helpful.
So laugh at yourself. It is the best way to take ourselves less seriously. Look for humor in the ironies and absurdities of life. Understand that we need to try and keep things in perspective.
Laughter triggers the release of endorphins, the body’s natural feel-good chemicals. Endorphins promote an overall sense of well being, and can even temporarily relieve pain. Always look for laughter in each day. A funny incident, a thought, a billboard, a commercial, whatever encourages you to smile. So let us join the “movement for laughter.” You may start with a few shy giggles. Or jump in with deep belly laughter.
Finally, here’s what sacred scripture has to say on the subject: “A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.” Proverbs 17: 22, KJV), or for a more modern version of the same verse, “A cheerful disposition is good for health, gloom and doom leave you bone-tired” (MSG) But what do you do if you don’t have a merry heart of cheerful disposition? The answer is LAUGH> After all, as William James (1842-1910) said, We don’t laugh because we are happy-we’re happy because we laugh”…Thanks you David Cuffy for stimulating our discussion on Laughter on September 13th at Dolce Vita..Food begins at 5:30 p.m and Philosophy continues…
What about Music in our lives? Come and join our choir which begins at the First United Church on September 15th at 6:45 p.m. Come and take part in our Christmas Concert Next month in Food and Filosoohy, we will be talking about Music in our Lives!!! I hope that I might be able to encourage a few members from the choir to prove to us the beneficial qualities of Music in our lives.