by Deb Saine
I love to laugh, absolutely love it. I even laugh when there’s no one else around.
The majority of the time, I’m laughing at myself. But there have been times when I’ve laughed at other people. I’m sorry, but if it’s funny, I’m going to laugh.
Like the time a waiter slipped on some salsa that had been spilled on the floor. I couldn’t help myself. It was like watching one of the three stooges. His feet slipped out from underneath him and down he went along with the tray he’d been carrying.
He was not amused by my amusement, so he said a few choice words to me in Spanish. At least I presumed they were choice words. I can’t be sure because I don’t speak Spanish, which made me laugh even harder.
I’ve laughed so hard that I’ve wet my pants. Heck, I’ve even laughed so hard a blueberry came through my nose.
I was eating dinner with a friend’s family when it happened. I was eating a fruit cocktail when something funny was said. I don’t remember what it was, but I do remember what happened next. I’d just taken a bite of blueberries and washed them down with milk.
Apparently they hadn’t gone down my throat because as I was laughing, out came the blueberry along with some of the milk through one of my nostrils. I couldn’t believe it. How was it even possible?
My friend’s dad was speechless. He simply stood up and left the table. My friend and her mom were a different story. They laughed about as hard as I did. Who’d’a thunk it? I’ve had Coke go through my nose before but never a blueberry.
This happened more than 30 years ago, and we still laugh about it today.
The other day, I was watching TV and eating some chocolate chip cookies. When I looked down at my sweatshirt, I saw a “crumb.” So, I picked it off and popped it into my mouth. No sooner had it passed my lips than I knew it was no crumb. It was one of those obnoxious lady bugs. Yuck! I’m just glad I didn’t bite down on it or, even worse, swallow it.
Once I spit out the lady bug, I started laughing.
This next story took place in a restroom in Italy. They have what they call unisex restrooms. But I found out the hard way that once you stepped through the door, the stalls were marked for a man or a woman.
As usual, I wasn’t paying close attention and had gone into a men’s stall. You’d’a thought I’d just killed somebody. Oh, my goodness. People started yelling at me in Italian. What did I know. I was just some tourist. And I definitely didn’t speak the language.
After finding the right stall, going to the bathroom and washing my hands, I slipped back outside. Then, I busted a gut. As if I could understand one word of what they were yelling. Good grief.
But the hardest I think I’ve ever laughed has been decades ago. I was in the seventh- or eighth-grade at the time.
Mom and I were playing rummy and watching Lawrence Welk live. Whether this had been planned, I’ll never know. Mr. uh-one and uh-two was picking out female members of the studio audience and dancing with them one-on-one.
Well, he started to dance with this one lady, twirling her around and such, when, without warning, her wig went flying off her head. Mom and I were speechless. Then we both started to laugh — hysterically — and we must’ve laughed for at least five minutes.
It was too funny!
One of the reasons I love to laugh is because it makes me feel better and can even lift me out of a bad mood.
Yes, laughter is a good thing.
• Deb Saine is a columnist for the Pharos-Tribune. She can be reached through the newspaper at ptnews@pharostribune.com.
