Flickr photo by tom@hk
On Tuesday night at the Strand-Capitol, I couldn’t contain myself as eloquent words floated out of humor author David Sedaris‘ mouth.
Did that taxidermy shop owner really tell David to touch the dead arm? Sedaris’ banter with his father reminds me exactly of my grandfather’s crazy ways. I giggled, chuckled and all out belly-laughed at the stories I was being told.
I am picky about my humor (No “South Park” for me) but Sedaris touches my soul (maybe because my family is as crazy as his.) This is a good thing: Laughter has therapeutic qualities that can improve a person’s health and quality of life.
And what is even better, April is National Humor Month.
According to this Washington Times article, Dr. Madan Kataria started a laughter club in 1995 and the concept has ballooned to more than 6,000 groups in 60 countries. According to the article:
Over the years (Kataria has) found that even artificially induced laughter can help relax muscles, lower blood pressure, improve blood circulation, increase oxygen levels, and boost your immune system – what many consider to be the “master key” to good health.
I personally know this as true. There are times when I am so stressed, I feel the muscles in my shoulders knot. That is the effect of working in a high-stress job setting. As a result, there are times when anything sets off a giggle-fest, when I can’t stop laughing about something seemingly not very funny, causing me to gasp for breath. I feel calm afterward, muscles relaxed and sometimes I can finally fall asleep.
And after knowing that I must keep my heart healthy, I should make laughter one of my daily requirements, just like taking my vitamins and getting exercise.
Even these parents get the message: Sometimes life can’t be taken too seriously. I think this is an amazing thing to teach kids — to not sweat the small stuff.
And who knows, if these kids have great senses of humor, we might have a few more best-selling authors.
