What Makes You Laugh?

Did you ever notice that kids laugh often and easily? Do something silly, like make a funny face, and the giggling begins. Now, have you also noticed that as age increases laughter decreases? It's true.

The average preschooler laughs or smiles 400 times a day. That number drops to only 15 times a day by the time people reach age 35, according to Mary Rue Foster, R.N. and host to the website, Workplace Issues. What are some other interesting facts about laughter? Here goes:

1. People smile only 35 percent as much as they think they do?

2. Laughter releases endorphins, a chemical 10 times more powerful than the pain-relieving drug morphine, into the body with the same exhilarating effect as doing strenuous exercise.

3. Every time you have a good hearty laugh, you burn up 3 1/2 calories.

4. Laughing increases oxygen intake, thereby replenishing and invigorating cells? It also increases the pain threshold, boosts immunity, and relieves stress.


The conclusion is we adults need to kick back and laugh more. All those benefits for something as simple and fun as laughing. How do we go about doing that? Seems like an easy questions, but I had to think about it for a little while. Here's what I came up with.    

• Funny Friends - Think about some of your friends who tickle your funny bone. Make sure to hang out with them as often as you can. Even thinking about these folks can bring on a chuckle, at least for me.  
• Comedians and Other Funny Media Personalities - Some people who earn their living by making others laugh are true masters. Favorites of mine include Bill Cosby, Tina Fey, Stephen Colbert, Gildna Radner, George Carlin, just to name a few. With these comics, a laugh is just a DVD away. Just look at this face and see if initiates a spark of a laugh:

Bill Cosby

• Funny animal pictures - Keep a file of your favorites somewhere on your computer, preferably your desktop, for a quick laugh. Check this one out:     

• Situations - Last night I went to a hockey game in Glens Falls, NY. The team's mascot is a giant woodchuck, or maybe it's a beaver. At one point the costumed whatever gyrated to We Will Rock You while kids gathered around trying to imitate him/her/it (couldn't tell). It may not sound that funny, but I found it to be hysterical. I often laugh at these spontaneous moments that surprise me in my day to day life and I'm going to be on the lookout for more.
• Irony - I laugh at things that really aren't funny, but when spoofed are highly amusing. Tina Fey and Jon Stewart are brilliant at this. Don't know if any of you have tuned into the TV show, The Onion, but whenever I do, their parodies crack me up. Here's one called, Congress Forgets How to Pass A Law:  

Take a minute to share what makes you laugh. The more ideas the better. After all, we could all use a little laughter in our lives. Hope you found a bit here. Kick Back Book: Humor is not easy to pull off in writing, especially fiction, but Marian Keyes manages to do just that in her novel, The Other Side of the Story. If you want a light read, with vivid characters and lots of laughs that revolves around the publishing world, read this.

Kick Back Song:

From one of my favorite movies, Mary Poppins, I Love to Laugh. Sit back and enjoy.

A Little Something Extra:

"The human race has only one really effective weapon, and that is laughter. The moment it arises, all our hardnesses yield, all our irritations and resentments slip away and a sunny spirit takes their place." -- Mark Twain