www.womanthismonth.com 71 January 2015 I am not a supporter of childish stupidity or pranks, but the ability to laugh – especially at yourself. I knew someone who took everything to heart. Life is too short for that. Sure, none of us want to be laughed at, but sometimes our idiosyncrasies are funny to others. We should learn from this and laugh along with them. Clowns love to be laughed at while the rest of us seldom do. We squirm in our seats, we become on-the-spot introverts but, thankfully, I was born part clown. My big feet and red nose help. Laughter starts with a smile and so does the best method of disarming our enemies. No one ever expects a smile, but it helps. We may not all look alike, speak the same language or share the same beliefs but there is one thing that binds us all together: laughter. As the American comedian Yakov Smirnoff said: “Everybody laughs the same in every language because laughter is a universal connection.” But Danish comedian Victor Borge summed it up the best: “Laughter is the shortest distance between two people.” Working for a large corporation these days, I am subjected to training sessions on a regular basis. I hate being trained, for I am an ageing dog after all, and new tricks struggle to stick. But our recent company training day had all departments involved. People used to sending each other emails about how their division lets down the bigger picture or how each department can better themselves for the greater good of the company, sat together for eight hours to learn and train. Our US trainer flown in for the event had us all laughing and, as unaccustomed as I am to enjoying myself, I did. Did we learn much? I’m not sure after eight solid hours, but it broke down the barriers between us all. Today, there seems to be a distinct reduction in ‘cynical’ emails, and a greater understanding of each other. My mother passed away little over a year ago, yet I can still hear her laugh ringing in my head. I doubt the sound will ever leave me. I pray that it doesn’t, for it is one of the greatest memories I have of her. We lived apart for years, yet it was through instant mutual laughter over the phone that made the distance seem shorter than it was. Through a tough life, it was her ability to laugh and find the funny in the small things that made her life memorable. As American writer and journalist Max Eastman once said: “It is the ability to take a joke, not make one, that proves you have a sense of humour.” There are numerous subjects and life events that can make us bitter and despondent, yet if we teach our children one skill at all, it should be the art of laughter. Being able to enjoy yourself and pick out life’s funny moments rather than highlighting its harshness will give children a greater ability to face the world with more fight. As the ageing process takes hold of us, I know I’d rather have a face with deep lines of laughter than worry. g he says Sometimes a good sense of humour is more disarming than charm and more enlightening than wisdom. James Claire tells us why we should laugh through life. A Laughing Matter
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