Laughter Rx - 1/day
Why did the football coach yell at the vending machine? He wanted his quarter back! Does anyone have a good joke to share? When was the last time you had a good old-fashioned belly laugh? Mine was months ago, catching up with a friend over a lunch date. She is such an animated storyteller!
For laughs, some viewers stay up late to watch Saturday Night Live (SNL) or tune in to comedic monologues by Jim Gaffigan, Tina Fey, and Will Ferrell. However, in today’s entertainment world, scary mysteries and true-life crime shows have replaced and saturated the light-heartedness of comedy from yesteryear. What happened to the upbeat, joyful escapism from the real world of tragedy, war, and loss? As Milton Berle quipped, “Laughter is an instant vacation.”
Remember the funny, slapstick television shows of The Three Stooges with Mo slapping around Curly, and the distorted crying face of Stan in The Laurel and Hardy Show? Or, recall giggly Goldie Hawn, the Smothers Brothers, and Judy Carne’s “Sock it to me!” in Laugh-In? Hilarious scenes in Mrs. Doubtfire, City Slickers, and Young Frankenstein come to mind. Comedians like Don Rickles, Carol Burnett, and Bob Newhart took center stage back then.
Phyllis Diller, a stand-up comedian, once delivered, “A smile is a curve that sets everything straight.” Could that include one’s health, too? You’ve heard the expression “Laughter is the best medicine.” Well, it’s no joke (pun intended)! It’s fun, easy to use, and free. Believe it or not, laughter can help with weight loss and burning calories. It’s like a mini-abs exercise with your belly muscles expanding and contracting. Symptoms of depression and anxiety can be reduced with the increase of good mental health. Laughter adds happiness and zest to life. With laughter, immunity improves by increasing the number of T-cells that produce antibodies, thus helping prevent colds and resist disease. Blood flow, cardiovascular health, and lower blood pressure can improve with a good chuckle. It can release endorphins and aid in pain management. So, go on, take that funny pill!
Besides one’s improved physical and mental health, social interactions can be strengthened through humor. Try diffusing a potentially heated argument with lighthearted banter. Hang around friends who can tell gut-busting jokes and still remember the punchlines, definitely not me. Seek out spirited animals and playful young children. “Knock-knock, who’s there?” Increase your endorphins over fun activities like miniature golf, karaoke, bowling, and charades. Be goofy, silly and childlike. Giggle more, you deserve laughter’s sunshine.
To those of my era, remember the I Love Lucy episode with Lucy and Ethel on the fast-moving assembly line stuffing their faces with chocolates? If not, take a peek:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AnHiAWlrYQc
Be mindful and intentional in seeking out the levity that life grants. Make it a goal to increase those smiles and chuckles each day, with the prize being the laugh where you almost pee your pants. And, at my age that’s not so funny anymore!
P.S. As a tribute to Diane Keaton’s recent passing, laugh while watching one of her beloved, funny movies.
Bit by bit, that’s all she wrote…