It's Definitely a Laughing Matter ~

"Some people laugh through their noses . . . some people laugh through their teeth goodness sakes, hissing and fizzing like snakes . . . some laugh too fast, some only blast . . . others they twitter like birds . . . then there's the kind that can't make up their mind . . ."

These are a few lines from the song, 'I Love to Laugh', from Mary Poppins, sung by Uncle Albert, Mary Poppins, and Bert. The whole song and scene are quite amusing, as it is totally about laughter - hence the name of the song :P

As I have said over and over again, I really love to laugh and I love to make others laugh. There is just such a release that comes from a big ol' belly laugh. At work, there is a woman who sits across the building from me and has this really loud, funny, machine gun-like laugh and every time I hear her, I have to laugh too. Sometimes it just comes out of nowhere when everything is silent - what a joy! My co-worker, Andy, and I both enjoy her laugh and every time we hear it, we laugh with each other about this other person's laugh. We call ourselves the laugh connoisseurs of the office because we have always had a thing about the different laughs that our co-workers have and we decide if they have great or annoying laughs. I was surfing the net, looking for interesting laugh material, and I came across 'Types of Laughs', by Shi Hui Lim. I thought this was very amusing and want to share it with you. I really believe there is nothing we can't get through if we can maintain a sense of humor and laugh at least a little at ourselves and our situations. Which laugh best describes yours?

The first type of laugh, the BLAST, is a loud and long burst emitting from a person's mouth, followed by shorter and softer bursts that slowly die away. Blasts usually emanate from loud, outgoing persons, making them seem sure and confident in themselves. After all, it is a loud type of laugh that will attract attention from those around the blaster, which is not always a good thing. Outgoing people who blast their laughs usually have an interesting sense of humor, laughing at things that may not seem funny to others. This can be a problem in movie theaters and other public places where silence is needed. A blaster is also easy to pick out of a crowd, like a giant billboard advertising where he or she is. A blaster's friends will be able to find him/her easily, but the same could be said for enemies of the blaster. Others view blasters as friendly, outgoing people, easy to make friends with and always fun to be around.

The next type of laugh, the HISS, could be mistaken for an actual snake in the snake section of the zoo. These laughers sound just like snakes, laughing through their teeth as Mary Poppins rightfully put it. Hissers do not always fit into what society sees as a normal person. These are the 'oddballs', the ones that others do not wish to include in activities and are not well liked by other laughers. Hissers are cynical bystanders, watching and observing, never allowed and never wishing to partake in events, laughing at the stupid actions of others. The hissers are the smart ones, wary of their surroundings at all times, which is something that cannot be said for the next group of laughers.

The GIGGLE is a twittery, small, bubbly kind of laugh; one could say the cute laugh of the six. The same can be said for gigglers, usually small and very bubbly and bright kind of people, the most common being small children and girls. Gigglers are easy to please and laugh easily, having a bright and cheery disposition most of the time, but are also seen as dumb and bird brained. Gigglers are very nice to all they know and meet, reliable, trustworthy, and loyal as well. They make very good friends.

While gigglers are young, bubbly, and bright, WHEEZERS are older and have lived and seen it all. Not all wheezers are extremely old; some people are only a wheezer due to smoking or bad lungs. Most wheezers try not to laugh, as each time they do, deep gasping and coughing follows. They save their laughs for special times, only using it when something is extremely funny, not just merely. It is wise not to be the one who makes the wheezer laugh, for the next time a wheezer laughs, it may result in his/her death and it is the instigator who will feel the guilt. Wheezers are wise and know much about life, often telling stories and reminiscing about how life used to be.

Most people have heard a CACKLE, a high-pitched sort of squeal, usually by the evil people in old movies. In real life, evil people do not laugh like a cackler, rather those who are more annoying to the general population. Cacklers are the people that all others pretend to like. Everyone else puts up with them and tolerates them, but in reality, they are not liked at all. Cacklers are obnoxious and talk too much, usually about nothing at all. When intelligent conversation swirls around a cackler, all he/she does is add irrelevant information or act rudely and begin a conversation with another in a very loud voice.

SILENT laughers, where no sounds emit from a person's mouth and one only sees a silent laugher's body shaking and convulsing, are the exact opposite of blasters. Hissers and silent laughers are alike; both types of people do not join in activities and only observe. Unlike hissers, silent laughers are welcome to join if they wish, but are usually forgotten or too shy. Silent laughers are introverted, very quiet people, keeping their laughter to themselves and in their own little worlds. They are not well known to others and choose to spend time alone or with other like themselves.

Each laugh is very unique and different, as are the people who laugh the laughs. The six laughs each have certain advantages and disadvantages, not one better than another. Each laugh is special, fun, and interesting to listen to. If for any occasion one has an opportunity to listen to the many laughs all together, maybe at a party, sit back and enjoy the unique symphony of laughs.

I hope you are having a great week and have managed to get in a few laughs no matter what your current situation. Maybe this post isn't so long that you got bored before the end and didn't find the humor.

Denise :P

"Laughter is an instant vacation." ~ Milton Berle

"A laugh is a smile that bursts." ~ Mary H. Waldrip

"Seven days without laughter makes one weak." ~ Mort Walker