Tuesday 5 October 2010

ABC Wednesday L is for Laughter, Life and Love

Laughter, Life and Love - these are three words without which we could not, should not live (especially the second)
Are they intertwined, mutually dependent? I thought long and hard superficially about this as I attempted to sleep last night. The thinking wore me out bored me so I soon fell asleep.
I wonder whether I could spend any appreciable time with a humourless person. I haven’t met many who belong in this category though several have fitted the ‘takes him/herself too seriously’ set but then what makes me laugh may leave other people cold and vice versa. When others are rolling in the aisles chortling at slapstick or practical jokes my face is stony so then I’m the one without a sense of humour. I do know that the people with whom I spend most of my time – my family – frequently have me gasping for air as I giggle inanely at something one of them has said or done. Unfortunately, once I start guffawing I find it very hard to stop even though my face is wet with tears and my sides are aching and I’m attracting attention from strangers. I know that sharing my life with someone lacking a sense of humour, of the ridiculous, would be impossible for me.
It’s generally agreed that I’m quiet a misery in the mornings. I am either silent or aggressively monosyllabic. I couldn’t live with someone like me! On the extremely rare occasions that I start the morning in light-hearted mood I can guarantee that the day will not end well but when I’m in a bad mood Barry makes me laugh in spite of myself. He laughs a lot which belies his serious, deep-thinking character.
Life – of course we can’t live without it but the life I mean is enthusiasm, interest in others, a desire need to learn new things and different skills, to experience and try to understand what makes other people the characters personalities they are. Living in a rut is safe but the world is full of surprises and by that I don’t mean that travel is essential. To some people, of course, it is, but travel means little when interests may encompass space and deep sea, the inner workings of microbes or the deep resonant singing of a Russian basso profondo.
Love – it makes the world go round, apparently! There are many different aspects to love. Self-love is the most destructive and equally love or faith that becomes fanatical is dangerous. The Prophet Mohammed said, ‘Beware of extremism in religion; for it was extremism in religion that destroyed those who went before you.’
We love our family and our friends and also our pets, but we profess to love inanimate objects too and nature. Maybe it’s a different kind of love in each case but it fulfils a need in us and makes us feel happier. If we are happy we interact more kindly with each other. If we can make others happy there is at least a double benefit. Marcel Proust wrote, ‘Let us be grateful to people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls bloom.’
Finally, (‘At last’, you sigh, if you’re still reading this! And if you are, thank you!) Laughter, Life and Love need expression in activity, in play.
Friedrich Nietzsche – ‘In every real man a child is hidden that wants to play.’ Amen to that and long may it be so.
Laud and thanksgiving to the Lovely Denise Nesbitt and her Loveably Loyal Lads and Lasses who organise and host this sometimes Loquacious meme. To see more Ls on earth, please click here.

31 comments:

  1. This was a lovely read and extremely well written. My inner child also enjoyed it!

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  2. This was a lovely read and extremely well written. My inner child also enjoyed it!

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  3. I do so agree with you, Janice, as to the importance of these three words! I try to keep them in the front of my mind each and every day because things do happen, more than we want to deal with, that require us to Live, to Love and to Laugh or go crazy! Terrific post for the L Day! Wishing you Lots of Love, a good Life, filled with Laughter!

    Sylvia

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  4. There was an old song with the words "Live, love, laugh and be happy" and I can't remember the name of it at the moment, but I know I've always believed those words.
    It's almost eleven months since my dad died of Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia. Needless to say, he was no longer the man he used to be, but he did manage to laugh every day. And I know he loved me. I would go out to the west coast to visit him every six weeks or so, and usually as I came through the door into his wing of the care facility, I would be talking to someone. When he heard my voice, he smiled and turned his head toward me.
    I will be forever grateful to have had parents who lived their lives to the fullest, who loved one another, and who were happy, joyous and free.
    Thanks for reminding me today, Janice.
    -- Kay, Alberta

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  5. Beautifully put, - I did enjoy reading your thoughts on Life, Love and Laughter, - all such essential and lovely parts of each day.

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  6. Ah, yes! Such a daily challenge to keep these in mind as we go about our day. But, we can never be reminded too often as we forget too easily.
    Beautiful.

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  7. I enjoyed reading this too and agree with you on the importance of those 3 L's. I like the Marcel Proust quote! A

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  8. Enjoyed this. Oh, laughter is so important. And it seems even Nietzsche was right on one thing :-)

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  9. Loved reading this, Janice. And there's definitely a child in me that wants to play...so I do. :)

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  10. So true Janice and wonderfully expressed.
    Your comment about life reminded me of 'Voyage Round My Room' travel without going over the threshold.

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  11. You are such an excellent writer Janice, and this was a very enjoyable read, thank you.
    An English Girl Rambles

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  12. Well said. I can't add a thing, except...LOL... I like people with a sense of humor. Some people are just to serious all the time. Each week I try to add a bit of humor in my ABC posts. I Love Life and I Laugh a Lot.

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  13. I read it to the very end, and enjoyed it very much, and agree those are words to live by!!!

    Good L post.

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  14. I'm a lovably loyal lad? love it.

    btw, i still have something to give you; please e-mail me!

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  15. Beautifully written! Such valuable L's. Thanks for a wonderful post!

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  16. Well said. If we lose our playfulness, our zest, our interest in everything around us, we won't have much left. Here's to laughter, love and life. Long may they thrive.

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  17. fun L post...

    pleasant writing!

    here is my ABC Wednesday entry:
    http://jingleyanqiu.wordpress.com/2010/10/05/l-is-4-leos-lots-of-laughter/

    thanks for visiting!

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  18. Very thought provoking post.

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  19. Did Mohammed really say that? Interesting! I do wonder what kind of love it is that I have for animals -- it's not the same as human love. But it is still love.

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  20. Essential to a good life

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  21. Well, you had me laughing, especially at the crossed-out thoughts. I can well appreciate Love as needed in one's life, having had a steadfast love from my Otto for 67 years and being surrounded now by the love of my senior-citizen children. A lovely well articulated post!

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  22. An excellent and heartfelt take on some very important concepts.

    Thanks for your visit for ABC Wed!

    Gina

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  23. Great choices for L. Laughter is my favorite. The ability to laugh at oneself is the best.

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  24. After reading (yes, I've read it all and enjoyed it) this I'm starting the day a wiser person. Thank you.
    ;-)

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  25. Well said, you pretty much covered all of the important things in life. Never take ourselves too seriously and laugh as often as possible.

    My inner child has long enjoyed the Nietzsche quote.

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  26. I very much agree with you on all L's ! I couldn't live with a person without humor either, and to me the one who tells endless jokes the whole evening has a lack of humor too ! It doesn't make me laugh I am bored ! Laughing is very important especially in a marriage. As long as you still can laugh together, everything is OK !
    Sometimes I admire myself, I stayed with the same man for 41 years !!! lol !

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  27. Lovely Ls in the L Post :)


    -
    http://snowleopardshoots.wordpress.com/
    http://unpredictableblog.wordpress.com/

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  28. This was a beautiful post and I agree with you completely. Funny how it reminded me of a series that Brit Gal Sarah told me to watch on Netflix. It's called Doc Martin. There's somebody who needs a sense of humor. We're loving that series, just as Sarah said.

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  29. Me and laughs can't be separated, I'm afraid - I see the funny side in almost everything, often to other people's horror! LOL :)

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  30. well written and a timely reminder.

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