Recently I was asked, "what makes you laugh?" I had to giggle a little at that question. I think the answer could be, "What doesn't make me laugh?" The very first thing that comes to my mind is sitting at the Cape Cod Melody Tent watching my favorite comedian of all time, Steven Wright. In the middle of his show he paused and then swung the microphone stand over his head like a giant pencil and said, "Dear Mom, I'm still shrinking." The memory of that has kept me entertained for years and the laughter that my friend Megeen and I had during the show was the side splitting laughter where you can't breathe and tears are streaming down your cheeks. God, I love that laughter!
The other day I went to see the movie Bridesmaids with my sister in law. That is definitely a side splitting funny movie but I had not laughed as hard in a long time as I did when I was looking at the people behind us and reaching into the popcorn on Candice's lap at the same time. Just as I realized I am running my hand down her boob I hear her say, "That's not the popcorn!" Then we had to do the silent laughter so as not to bother anyone and it felt like I was laughing for hours!
I firmly believe that laughter has to have a similar effect that a good cardio workout has for our bodies, heart, mind and soul. I not only love to laugh but I love to make other people laugh. I pride myself on being a work place comedian professional. When you can cut tension with a knife, why not cut it with some humor instead? Of course, the humor must be well timed and the audience must be considered, but those who work with me know I especially enjoy poop humor! I think that is because in so many areas of life I have to be mature and professional that when I let loose the poop humor just flies out of me!
Think of your very best memories. How many of them include a great laugh with someone you love?
When my mom was in rehab after her infection and we thought she was on the way to recovery we were talking about her surgery. She had necrotizing fasciitis which is more commonly known as the flesh eating bacteria. They had to do a surgery where they take everything around the infected area. They basically take as much as they can to get the infection out. She had a huge wound on her leg that had only raw nerve and muscle exposed. Every day they had to unwrap clean and wrap it back up and the pain exhausted her. One day, I showed up at my usual after school time and took my seat. She started saying that the nurse told her there were people much worse off than my mom. (I should mention here that if they can't get the whole infected area it can lead to amputation). From what the nurse said, and mom claimed she had been dead serious, one person had everything amputated and was only a head. NOW COME ON!!!!! Well, as mom is telling me I started bursting and she said, "Jen that is inappropriate." I said I knew but I couldn't stop picturing the head doing things. Then mom burst out and then we couldn't stop. Now let me be clear. First of all (and to be fair I have never googled this) I do not believe there is a person out there who is just a head....where the hell are their organs? Like the heart they need to survive!!!!???? But also, my mom and I were NOT laughing at the expense of another, we were laughing to save our souls. Remember, at that point we thought she was recovering (we had no way to know the infection had made it to her bloodstream) and then when we started to realize she wasn't recovering that joke kept us going. All I had to say was, "Mom, remember the head!?"
Finally, I can go back to when I was a child. I can remember sitting on our seventies lounger with my mom in the middle of the kids and watching Carol Burnett and Friends. At the age I was I don't think I ever really got the jokes, but I can remember when my mom found something really funny she would turn beet read and kick her feet on the lounger. The sound of her laughter and the sight of it made me so happy that I would laugh too because I was bubbling over with happiness.
What a wonderful question to get yourself thinking about your own happiness. "What makes you laugh?"
Who do you love to laugh with and how long as it been since you did it?
Originally written on Friday, July 1, 2011 at 7:18am
The other day I went to see the movie Bridesmaids with my sister in law. That is definitely a side splitting funny movie but I had not laughed as hard in a long time as I did when I was looking at the people behind us and reaching into the popcorn on Candice's lap at the same time. Just as I realized I am running my hand down her boob I hear her say, "That's not the popcorn!" Then we had to do the silent laughter so as not to bother anyone and it felt like I was laughing for hours!
I firmly believe that laughter has to have a similar effect that a good cardio workout has for our bodies, heart, mind and soul. I not only love to laugh but I love to make other people laugh. I pride myself on being a work place comedian professional. When you can cut tension with a knife, why not cut it with some humor instead? Of course, the humor must be well timed and the audience must be considered, but those who work with me know I especially enjoy poop humor! I think that is because in so many areas of life I have to be mature and professional that when I let loose the poop humor just flies out of me!
Think of your very best memories. How many of them include a great laugh with someone you love?
When my mom was in rehab after her infection and we thought she was on the way to recovery we were talking about her surgery. She had necrotizing fasciitis which is more commonly known as the flesh eating bacteria. They had to do a surgery where they take everything around the infected area. They basically take as much as they can to get the infection out. She had a huge wound on her leg that had only raw nerve and muscle exposed. Every day they had to unwrap clean and wrap it back up and the pain exhausted her. One day, I showed up at my usual after school time and took my seat. She started saying that the nurse told her there were people much worse off than my mom. (I should mention here that if they can't get the whole infected area it can lead to amputation). From what the nurse said, and mom claimed she had been dead serious, one person had everything amputated and was only a head. NOW COME ON!!!!! Well, as mom is telling me I started bursting and she said, "Jen that is inappropriate." I said I knew but I couldn't stop picturing the head doing things. Then mom burst out and then we couldn't stop. Now let me be clear. First of all (and to be fair I have never googled this) I do not believe there is a person out there who is just a head....where the hell are their organs? Like the heart they need to survive!!!!???? But also, my mom and I were NOT laughing at the expense of another, we were laughing to save our souls. Remember, at that point we thought she was recovering (we had no way to know the infection had made it to her bloodstream) and then when we started to realize she wasn't recovering that joke kept us going. All I had to say was, "Mom, remember the head!?"
Finally, I can go back to when I was a child. I can remember sitting on our seventies lounger with my mom in the middle of the kids and watching Carol Burnett and Friends. At the age I was I don't think I ever really got the jokes, but I can remember when my mom found something really funny she would turn beet read and kick her feet on the lounger. The sound of her laughter and the sight of it made me so happy that I would laugh too because I was bubbling over with happiness.
What a wonderful question to get yourself thinking about your own happiness. "What makes you laugh?"
Who do you love to laugh with and how long as it been since you did it?
Originally written on Friday, July 1, 2011 at 7:18am
No comments:
Post a Comment