You Grow Old Because You Stop Laughing

Today, while in our every Tuesday morning sales meeting, my mind began to wander; taking me back to an incident that happened last Winter.

Sitting in the meeting that cold January day, while fiddling with my necklace, I realized I had my turtleneck sweater on backwards.  So, I waited until the meeting ended and slipped off to the restroom to remedy the situation.  Only we women can relate to this. I pulled the sweater up above my shoulders, twirled it around and all was good.  About the time I began to pour a cup of coffee with my back to the group, I heard the gang begin to laugh; not just the polite chuckle but all out roll in the floor laughter.  Seems, in haste, when I turned my sweater around, I forgot to turn my rather long necklace and my name badge around to the front.  So, from the waist up it looked as if all was in place except for my head.   It was mentioned it looked as if my head was on backwards; like a scene from the Exorcist.   I can’t relate because I have never seen the Exorcist; too frightened as a teenager to watch.   I must admit, I enjoyed the laugh as much as everyone.

If you can’t laugh at yourself, then just maybe you are taking yourself and life in general too seriously.  Granted,  there is an appropriate time and place for everything. That is an attribute my mother instilled, no drilled into me.  Laughter also is good for our health, it burns calories, stretches muscles, reduces stress and produces natural energy.  Laughter also increases blood flow and improves the function of blood vessels. We all know that laughter is contagious.  People have a tendency to gravitate toward laughter.  That may be why I get satisfaction from sharing my life’s most embarrassing moments. If I see someone who is a little down or is being excessively negative, or just needs to lighten up,  I share with them something silly.  More often than not, I can pull them out of their funk. If it takes them away from their troubles but for just one moment, then I feel I have succeeded.  Not only do they become more relaxed and happy, it makes life easier for the folks around them.  I know it works for me.  My stress level was at the top of the chart today, nothing seemed to be going right in my attempt to overcome the day’s challenges.  All it took was someone making me laugh to snap me back into reality.  I felt more relaxed and happy. All problems now seemed minute.  It also made me stop and ask myself, in the grand scheme of things, is it really worth getting stressed?  Humor is a great equalizer. Not only does it balance our lives, it takes us to a higher place and gives us a totally different perspective on the challenges we face.

Not to sound cliché, but laugh at yourself and make someone else laugh. “You don't stop laughing because you grow old. You grow old because you stop laughing.” Michael Pritchard