from Our Town Magazine March/April
by ritmedia
A Day Based on Hilarity
By Tommy Gee
I was probably seven or eight when my father told me, “Nobody likes to be laughed at, but it’s going to happen, like it or not. It’s a part of life and you can’t allow yourself to be so knocked out of orbit when something like that happens.” He then continued explaining that what I needed to understand was that the word “at” was the issue, and that the greatest counter for being laughed “at” is to replace at with “with”, allowing yourself to laugh along with others. With that newfound notion, I gained amazing confidence through humbleness because it taught me to laugh at myself. Sometimes I think we are all guilty of taking ourselves too seriously. There is a great release in finding hilarity in your own personal folly.
This one intimate father-and-son chat, I believe, propelled me in the direction of finding humor in everything, and a desire to be funny. I like to think of it as therapy for myself and for those around me. There is much more to laughter than just a response, and with that being said, let’s dive into the details. The basic Google search for What is the scientific understanding of laughter immediately bombards one with how it enhances the intake of oxygen or rich air, stimulates the heart, lungs, and muscles, and increases endorphins released by the brain. The very act of laughing, or simply observing laughter, activates multiple regions of the brain, potentially reducing stress and anxiety.
Now, before I get carried away into the scientific areas of laughter, I think it’s safe to assume laughter is not only therapeutic, but necessary. Even if your immediate reaction isn’t laughter, later, almost like a defense mechanism, it takes the sting from a not-so-fond memory. We have all experienced something that wasn’t very funny in
the moment, but looking back, it’s often times absolutely hilarious. I can’t be the only one that has hours of memories that make for some of the most humorous stories I can tell, and quite frankly, at the time, they didn’t seem humor-inspiring at all. But, as I would share the experience with friends and family, it was easier for me to share it with a most profound injection of humor. It taught me how to paint a picture with words so that the listener can literally envision what I’m saying. I was asked one time, “What is your favorite sound to make?” My answer was and still is laughter! “What is your favorite sound to hear?” My answer is other people‘s laughter!
There are many avenues to invoking laughter through stories of personal experience, imaginary circumstances, or practical jokes, which brings us to probably one of my favorite holidays: April 1st, otherwise known as April Fools’ Day. According to the World Book Encyclopedia ©1962, April Fools’ Day is the first day of April in English-speaking countries when many men, women, and children play harmless jokes on one another, the victim ultimately becoming known as the “April fool”. The observance originated in France after the adoption of the Gregorian calendar in 1564; by the 1600s, it was widespread throughout England. Even ancient Rome has ties to the holiday with the Latin Hilaria (joyful) festival celebrated at the end of March. Despite historians being at odds over exactly where and when the holiday started, I think it’s safe to assume that the idea of making fun of ourselves has been an understanding and necessity that has stood the test of time. It has transcended culture, race, religion, and continents. I believe it to be a great uniter.
Now, of course, all things should be kept in good taste and despite your avenue of approach, when your personal goal is to entertain and bring joy to the other person rather than yourself, you really can’t go wrong. I think Jimmy Buffett said it best when he said, “If we couldn’t laugh, we would all go insane.” Of all the things we celebrate in today’s culture, surely laughter deserves some recognition and a rightful place.
This April 1, 2025, do yourself and others a favor and find a reason to laugh, or be an inspiration for laughter to others and unite in the joy it brings.
