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Recently in a writer’s group, we did a fun exercise
called, “Pass the Story.” Each person was given a sheet of paper, and had one
minute to write a full sentence. When the timer sounded, the sheet got passed to
the person on the right. She had to read that sentence, add one of her own,
and so on, until the papers went full circle. The sentences could be funny or
serious, fiction or non-fiction. We each took our turn to read what was on our
paper, and the mini stories were hilarious! Let me tell you, I don’t know when
I’ve laughed so hard.
Even before the meeting started, our funny bones got
tickled. I commented that I need to feed my blog because I was so far behind in
posting anything this month. One of the girls said, “I thought you said you had
to feed your bra!” I quipped, “No, I’m good in that department!” Hilarity ensued.
To my surprise, one lady announced, “Wow, I feel better! When I came, I felt so
tired, but now I have more energy; I actually feel good!”
Which brings me to my first point: laughter is the
best medicine! God says so. Proverbs 17:22 says, “A merry heart does good like
a medicine, but a broken spirit dries the bones.” Studies have shown that
strong belly laughter reduces physical pain, reduces blood pressure, protects
the heart, and helps digestion. It triggers the release of endorphin's
(feel-good hormones), relaxes the muscles for up to forty-five minutes, and
boosts the immune system. You can’t feel angry, anxious, or sad when you’re
laughing.
Besides that, laughter bonds friendships and helps
ease tension when there are disagreements or arguments. You may not be the
sharpest knife in the drawer, or have never won a beauty pageant; but when you
laugh, others find you attractive. I mean, who wants to hang around Gloomy Gus?
Faultfinding Freddie? Angry Alice? Suspicious Sam? Not I.
I think an exercise like "Pass the Story" would be fun to do at family gatherings. My granddaughter, Alissa, told me
she does something similar with a friend, in that she draws part of a
face, or whatever, then folds that part under, and has another person
finish the picture without seeing what she drew. I'm sure the results
would about peg the Laugh-O-Meter.
Like a yawn, laughter is contagious! I’m sure you have
all experienced it—someone starts laughing, and even though you don’t know what
he finds so funny, you soon join in the gaiety. We’d do ourselves (and others)
a big favor if we laughed more. Look for humor in a bad situation. Choose to
have a good attitude. Learn to laugh at yourself—don’t take yourself too
seriously. Nobody’s perfect!
Copyright
© 2016 Elaine Beachy
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