The Prospect Of Doing A Laugh May Be Funnier Than Doing It
The Prospect of Doing A Laugh May Be Funnier Than Doing It
I did a laughter presentation for LuLuLemon Atheletica, an athletics store here in Sydney on January 17, 2012. It was a small group of young ladies ladies, mostly staff of the store. Once participants were warmed up and eased into the laughter, it took on a momentum and a third of the time I just stood there, doing nothing as they cracked up… Participants were mostly ladies in their early twenties. I had little interaction with them. After leading the laugh, they were more comfortable doing it amongst themselves, their peer group, than with an older guy like myself. But that’s perfectly fine. (Laughter is always consensual, just like sex.)
There was one older lady there, however. Suzie. She had a slightly withdrawn demeanour. I attempted to do the laugh with her now and then, but just fleetingly, and withdrew when I sensed it wasn’t in her comfort zone to go further. When it came time for the monkey laugh (make eye contact, make soft monkey sounds, pretend to groom without touching or tickling) I approached the older lady to see if she’d do it with me. We made eye contact and we both cracked up, without doing the laugh. I respected her boundary in not doing the laugh with her, and the prospect of actually doing it was mutually hilarious. She cracked up too. It took my laughter to a higher place.
The prospect of doing the laugh was funnier than actually doing the laugh itself.
After the session I was on a slight “high”. I noticed a cool, relaxed feeling touching my core, reaching a deeper place. A pleasant feeling. It happens only once or twice a year. Hurray for endorphins!