Does anyone remember laughter?

[FourAces]

The subject line actually comes from the words Robert Planet mumbled during a recorded live version of Stairway To Heaven. But it was another thread here that had me thinking backward.

 

Whatever happened to fun? I mean the type where responsibilities didn't get in the way? Where you felt immortal? When you simply didn't give a fuck about anything except having fun.

 

I read the news today, oh boy. Just heard on the news that I live in the 8th most violent city in the nation. Just saw gas prices rise another 4 cents a gallon. Just found out a very young man I work with was shot in the back a few nights ago. Just began noticing that I become short of breath if I walk too long. Just realized that maybe I should follow the diet my doctor wants me on. Just noticed that I don't go out as much as I used to. Just realized that the dream might be over ... hopefully not.

 

I say yes, you say no, I say why and you say I don't know.

 

RT

[Trixie]

Don't know who wrote the lyrics to "Hello, Hello", but I suspect it was McCartney, not Lennon. Not that that's bad,but he always was a bit of a Pollyanna. No, maybe it was Lennon... in any case...

Watch "Harold & Maude", and "I've Heard the Mermaids Singing" back to back, and then listen to Doris Day's "Everybody Loves a Lover" over and over again. These things don't change reality, but at least they give you a charming alternative!

 

La Trix

[brentberna]

It is regrettable that you are feeling so down about things. Please allow me to show you the other side of the pic. Life is so bad??? I am my mothers caretaker. Have you EVER had to wipe your mother's ass after she made a B.M.? Have you ever had to deal with her "private parts" while cleaning her up? Have you ever dealt with and viewed your own mothers private parts because you were wiping her and cleaning her up because there is no one else to do the job? i suggest that until and unless you deal with things of that nature, that you simply shut the fuck up about laughter. There is no laughter.

[Guest skrubber]

I live just miles from the MOST dangerous city in the nation yet I keep on laughing. My favorite escort in the whole wide world has just found someone who doesn't want him to escort anymore and I keep on laughing. I work at a job that is so godamned boring I can't stand it and I keep on laughing. My dog (my best friend and companion) is geting along in years and I am afraid he doesn't have much time left and I keep on laughing. My brother won't let me hold Christmas at my house even though I have been spending hundreds of dollars every year for a family Christmas dinner yet I keep on laughing. Delusional? I think not. Laugh and the world laughs with you Four - whine like a little bitch and you whine alone.

[Boston Guy]

FourAces:

 

I'm sorry to hear about your young colleague. You don't say how he is doing, but I hope he's ok. I'm sorry, too, that you're feeling down. But the answer to your question is yes, I remember laughter, the kind of laughter you describe.

 

I was on a flight yesterday on a small, regional jet. A young mother and her son were sitting in the two seats in front of me. The boy was three and a half years old (I asked) and was carrying a small plastic jetliner. During most of the flight, he was flying the jetliner around his seat area, making vroooomming noises and just having the best of times. He'd land it on his tray table and say "Look, Mommy, this is the airport!" And then he'd fly it again, over and over, and he'd laugh the way little kids do when they're having fun. And his laughter was contagious. All of the adults around us enjoyed watching him have so much fun with his little plastic plane. We were all smiling and exchanging glances and, soon enough, talking about how much fun kids are. One little boy brought real, genuine warmth to a group of strangers.

 

Usually when people are feeling down, they're thinking of themselves and their troubles, which can sometimes feel overwhelming. But, on the whole, as Americans, we have so very much to be thankful for. Most of us will never know hunger, never be homeless, never lack for serious healthcare, never face a war or famine in our own country, never see our nation run by brutal dictators. We have much to be thankful for, as a nation and as individual citizens. Sometimes pretty trivial things can get us down precisely because we simply don't have to worry about the basic quality of life issues that face many people in the world every day.

 

Instead of dwelling on the things that are facing you, make some decisions and take action. Go on that diet; you know losing weight is the right thing to do and, to paraphrase Weight Watchers, being thin tastes better than any food you can imagine eating. Your lack of breath is your body's way of saying you're out of shape; start an exercise program and stick to it. Diet and exercise won't change your life in a day or a week. But you'll notice some results in a month and real results in three months, but only if you value yourself enough to stick with it.

 

But, most importantly, if you're feeling down, you're probably dwelling on your own problems. Get out and interact with other people. Seek out people who need help and help them. Go volunteer at a hospital or an AIDS clinic or a school or a literacy program. Find people whose life you can make a difference in, just by reaching out and lending a helping hand. I guarantee that not only will you feel better about yourself, you'll find that giving to others is a source of great inspiration and joy. Helping a child or a family in need or an immigrant struggling to find his or her dream in a new land seems on the surface like work but you'll quickly find that you get much more back from volunteering than you put into it. Including, my friend, the ability to laugh again.

 

Good luck. Happy Thanksgiving.

BG

[Juan Vancouver]

Amen...