Let Loose With Laughter!

When was the last time you truly laughed? I don’t mean just a smile, giggle, or chuckle. I mean, truly laughed. Laughed so hard that you couldn’t stop laughing. Laughed so hard that you may have peed in your pants. Laughed so hard that it hurt your abs because it’s been that long since you’ve laughed so hard. Yes, it’s been a while.

The last time I laughed so hard was a few months ago. Some friends were visiting for the weekend and I took them to downtown Seattle for a wander. We stopped in an underground toy store and one of them decided randomly to buy some “gnarly teeth.” Why would one buy these “gnarly teeth,” you ask? I asked the same question to myself. They were silly and ridiculous and I wasn’t particularly keen on having any part in them.

Later that evening, as we walked down Pine Street through Pike Place and back to Pioneer Square, we decided to don the gnarly teeth, ranging from “vampire” and “zombie” to “goat boy” and “grampa.” Despite my initial hesitation, I easily gave in to the peer pressure, as you do when you’re surrounded by “cool” friends, and I’m glad I did (that’s what friends are for!). It didn’t take long to succumb to the hilarity of the situation. No words were needed. I drooled through my new plastic mouth wear, awkwardly trying to adjust them with my lips, only causing me to laugh even harder as I looked at my friends doing the same.

Wanting to share our fun with strangers, we smiled widely at passers-by, proudly showing off our messed up teeth. Some barely noticed (or maybe they just pretended to ignore us), some felt sorry for us (thinking the teeth were real), and others shared only a smile. But among us, we couldn’t contain ourselves. The laughter was contagious and we continued on like this for at least 10 minutes (though it gets longer every time we recount the story)!

By the end of the night, we not only created a memorable experience with each other, we also had a good core and cardio workout! It tickles me to think about how ridiculous we looked and at the same time, how good it felt to let go of worrying about how we looked. It’s amazing how much release you can get from a bit of silliness and if it takes some “gnarly teeth” to be a gateway for it, then so be it! So, be silly and let yourself laugh a lot and see how good it feels! Don’t worry; no one will know if you pee a little in your pants!