Essential Laughter

Take time to laugh at yourself and the ridiculous in life. It is so refreshing to just laugh at your slips, peculiarities, forgetfulness, and fumbles. Humor has the power to dull the sharp edges of life and is a great tension reliever. Laughter stimulates the soul and boosts the immune system.

There are medical researchers who assert that laughter reduces levels of certain stress hormones. But, beyond this, laughter is curative. It is just good medicine for the sluggish spirit and an effective weapon against despair. It is like perfumed oil to the soul and brings joy to the spirit.

Do not take everything people say and do so seriously. Stop wearing your feelings on your sleeves. Sometimes, it is emotionally prosperous to just smile at the ridiculous, grin at the obnoxious and laugh at the absurd. Transform life's "ugh" into laughter. It was Sterne who asserted, "I live in a constant endeavor to fence against the infirmities of ill-health, and other evils of life, by humor. I am persuaded that every time a man smiles ? but much more so when he laughs ? it adds something to this fragment of life." Let the gift of laughter enhance your life.

In the midst of problematic situations, steal moments of humor. You will be astonished to find that for those moments, your problems disappear. For those few moments, your problems do not exist in your reality and life is wonderful. When the humorous moments pass, the problems no longer seem as monumental as you thought. Embrace humor. Come on now, liven up!

THE ACQUITTAL

Mrs. Graite had reached her limit;
The pain no more could bear.
Her pastor's boring sermons
Had led her to mad despair.

She invited him to dinner;
Prepared tasty veal.
Suspecting something was not right
He refused to eat the meal.

She thought, as she was led away
In handcuffs to a cell,
"No more boring sermons
Is worth all my time in jail."

But her prison term was short
'Cause the jury heard a tape,
Of the preacher's boring sermons
And acquitted Mrs Graite.

This poem is taken from "Room Beneath the Snow: Poems that Preach."

Rev. Saundra L. Washington, D.D., is an ordained clergywoman, social worker, and Founder of AMEN Ministries. http://www.clergyservices4u.org. She is also the author of two coffee table books: Room Beneath the Snow: Poems that Preach and Negative Disturbances: Homilies that Teach. Her new book, Out of Deep Waters: My Grief Management Workbook, will be available soon.

In The News:
table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd width=80 align=center valign=topfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifa href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/movies/390177_foundfootage02.htmlcid=0ei=AqY0SZm0II_u6gOZ062QCgusg=AFQjCNHCHlIUBQE7ZdBExE_BUAmiwdEAYAimg src=http://news.google.com/news?imgefp=xustOAjESLUJimgurl=seattlepi.nwsource.com/dayart/20081202/450foundfootage02.jpg width=80 height=43 alt= border=1brfont size=-2Seattle Post Intelligencer/font/a/font/tdtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/movies/390177_foundfootage02.htmlcid=0ei=AqY0SZm0II_u6gOZ062QCgusg=AFQjCNHCHlIUBQE7ZdBExE_BUAmiwdEAYAFound Footage Festival finds bhumor/b in old videos/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fSeattle Post Intelligencernbsp;-/font nobr3 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1By ATHIMA CHANSANCHAI Before YouTube, there was VHS, and anyone with a camcorder could make anything as odd or stupid as you#39;d see online today: b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table
table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://blogs.computerworld.com/swainson_mulcahycid=1276376056ei=AqY0SZm0II_u6gOZ062QCgusg=AFQjCNGlqtARsOpHRdk6swvTsblp8hJhUACEOs know that troubled times require a sense of bhumor/b/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fComputerworld,nbsp;MAnbsp;-/font nobr12 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1Her company, too, has gone through some very tough times, and yet her good bhumor/b remains fully intact. Both Swainson and Mulcahy proved the point when they b.../b/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do%3Fcommand%3DviewArticleBasic%26taxonomyName%3D%26articleId%3D330551%26taxonomyId%3D%26intsrc%3Dkc_featcid=1276376056ei=AqY0SZm0II_u6gOZ062QCgusg=AFQjCNGCHgebU22PzXjKDtDyBfUoMDtc7QSubscribe to our e-mail newsletters/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrComputerworld/nobr/font/fontbrfont class=p size=-1a class=p href=http://news.google.com/news?sourceid=navclientie=ISO-8859-1rls=GGLG,GGLG:2005-22,GGLG:enncl=1276376056hl=ennobrall 3 news articles/nobr/a/font/div/font/td/tr/table
table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117996628%3FcategoryId%3D15%26cs%3D1cid=0ei=AqY0SZm0II_u6gOZ062QCgusg=AFQjCNEmrWC1adSN9qt6p5Jic7h8TaqizAMTC rounds out season with #39;bHumor/b#39;/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fVariety,nbsp;CAnbsp;-/font nobr5 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1By GORDON COX Manhattan Theater Club will round out its Off Broadway season with quot;bHumor/b Abuse,quot; a new play created by Lorenzo Pisoni and Erica Schmidt. b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table
table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.whittierdailynews.com/news/ci_11108940cid=1276374947ei=AqY0SZm0II_u6gOZ062QCgusg=AFQjCNGOt0pLIyQossFCWtsSj-wwgBB45w`Bomb#39; drops bhumor/b in Whittier/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fWhittier Daily News,nbsp;CAnbsp;-/font nobr22 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1bHumor/b comes naturally to Ortiz, one of six friends from Whittier High who make up the Atomic Bomb Comedy Group. quot;We#39;re drawing crowds of 70 plus, b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table
table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd width=80 align=center valign=topfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifa href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://broadwayworld.com/viewcolumn.cfm%3Fcolid%3D36833cid=1276256864ei=AqY0SZm0II_u6gOZ062QCgusg=AFQjCNFeQR6msVe44aDiKykTNa8fPIeUqAimg src=http://news.google.com/news?imgefp=UG0mOdwMd98Jimgurl=images.broadwayworld.com/upload/36833/lorenzo.jpg width=54 height=80 alt= border=1brfont size=-2Broadway World/font/a/font/tdtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.playbill.com/news/article/123798.htmlcid=1276256864ei=AqY0SZm0II_u6gOZ062QCgusg=AFQjCNHx1l4_3Y9dXqJip_CicMeiT7QrlAMTC Adds bHumor/b Abuse to Season, Announces Casting for Ruined b.../b/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fPlaybill.com,nbsp;NYnbsp;-/font nobrNov 30, 2008/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1bHumor/b Abuse, beginning previews Feb. 19, 2009, and opening March 10, 2009, at MTC City Center Stage II, is a quot;new one-man-show created by performer Lorenzo b.../b/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://broadwayworld.com/viewcolumn.cfm%3Fcolid%3D36833cid=1276256864ei=AqY0SZm0II_u6gOZ062QCgusg=AFQjCNFeQR6msVe44aDiKykTNa8fPIeUqAMTC To Present World Premiere of Pisoni#39;s bHUMOR/b ABUSE, Opens 3/10/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrBroadway World/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.theatermania.com/content/news.cfm/story/16420cid=1276256864ei=AqY0SZm0II_u6gOZ062QCgusg=AFQjCNHrGsL6jRtKyp6Poojj4kYwt9mExgMTC Announces Additional Casting for Accent on Youth; World b.../b/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrTheaterMania.com/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.broadway.com/MTC-to-Present-Lorenzo-Pisoni-s-Humor-Abuse-Casting-Added-for-Two-Shows/broadway_news/5016470cid=1276256864ei=AqY0SZm0II_u6gOZ062QCgusg=AFQjCNGSgu4baES8HS7ziNeRKgbgLCHIpAMTC to Present Lorenzo Pisoni#39;s bHumor/b Abuse; Casting Added for Two b.../b/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrBroadway.com/nobr/font/fontbrfont class=p size=-1a class=p href=http://news.google.com/news?sourceid=navclientie=ISO-8859-1rls=GGLG,GGLG:2005-22,GGLG:enncl=1276256864hl=ennobrall 5 news articles/nobr/a/font/div/font/td/tr/table
table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd width=80 align=center valign=topfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifa href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.godanriver.com/gdr/entertainment/night_life/article/humor_scott_hollifield/7735/cid=0ei=AqY0SZm0II_u6gOZ062QCgusg=AFQjCNGsNN9OI22TBEfytTC9iSgmiH5k2Aimg src=http://news.google.com/news?imgefp=D3h2nd_2TQsJimgurl=media.godanriver.com/registerbee/img-story/images/uploads/hollifield.jpg width=61 height=80 alt= border=1brfont size=-2Madison Messenger/font/a/font/tdtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.godanriver.com/gdr/entertainment/night_life/article/humor_scott_hollifield/7735/cid=0ei=AqY0SZm0II_u6gOZ062QCgusg=AFQjCNGsNN9OI22TBEfytTC9iSgmiH5k2AbHumor/b: Scott Hollifield/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fMadison Messenger,nbsp;VAnbsp;-/font nobr5 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1It’s heartening to know during the holiday season, when I need to knock out a column as quickly as possible to spend at least a little time with my b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table
table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/ss/columns/103947.phpcid=1276594154ei=AqY0SZm0II_u6gOZ062QCgusg=AFQjCNFpXPyWzlqIf3I7vjm6q8NGgssSlgbHumor/b by Argus Hamilton/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fTucson Citizen,nbsp;AZnbsp;-/font nobr19 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1Citigroup said that despite its rescue by the federal government, it will keep its stadium naming rights deal with the New York Mets for the baseball team#39;s b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table
table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd width=80 align=center valign=topfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifa href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.thedailyaztec.com/features/1.1040620cid=0ei=AqY0SZm0II_u6gOZ062QCgusg=AFQjCNFa0RSY-It7S-kkRvpy8PT0dd8ntgimg src=http://news.google.com/news?imgefp=qiuYz-CvQ6oJimgurl=www.thedailyaztec.com/polopoly_fs/1.1040621!image/1257775957.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_260/1257775957.jpg width=80 height=53 alt= border=1brfont size=-2Daily Aztec/font/a/font/tdtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.thedailyaztec.com/features/1.1040620cid=0ei=AqY0SZm0II_u6gOZ062QCgusg=AFQjCNFa0RSY-It7S-kkRvpy8PT0dd8ntgDATING bHUMOR/b: Don#39;t let no money mean mo#39; problems/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fDaily Aztec,nbsp;CAnbsp;-/font nobr10 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1As the economy continues to hit new lows, romance is still in the air, meaning innovative dating ideas need to be thought of to battle empty wallets. b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table
table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.asuwebdevil.com/node/3227cid=0ei=AqY0SZm0II_u6gOZ062QCgusg=AFQjCNEMN7ZozoBsrfms00mwQP-CS_6sPgConsider this your bhumor/b intervention/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fASU Web Devil,nbsp;AZnbsp;-/font nobr21 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1Everyone has their own sense of bhumor/b — mine is erring on the side of nerdy — but some people have an especially warped idea of funny. b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table
table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://crosscut.com/2008/12/01/flip-side/18672/cid=0ei=AqY0SZm0II_u6gOZ062QCgusg=AFQjCNEUR-EUu-lLi45OHpV0SVYJh_cU4QbHumor/b: All you need to know about world history/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fCrosscut,nbsp;WAnbsp;-/font nobr13 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1By Steve Clifford For a limited time only, ClipLearning is offering its award-winning lectures series The History of the World for only $49.95. b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table
humor - Google News


Wind Chimes and more...

Windchimes for great gifts!

Miss Cleo Was a Fake... NO - Really? YES Maaan!

With her Jamaican accent Miss Cleo, a self proclaimed psychic... Read More

[Not So] Outgoing Mail

I am currently perplexed by the concept of outgoing mail.... Read More

I Got to Play an April Fools Joke Before I was Born

I will start this by saying that yes, I did... Read More

Valet Parking: Theft with Consent

This column is long overdue. To put it in library... Read More

How I Spent my Summer Vacation

One of the best parts of a vacation is the... Read More

Silver Linings Are Everywhere

Viagra. That one word packs a lot of punch. Let's... Read More

Health Club Regulars ?- Some of the People Youre Likely To Meet at the Gym

One of the great benefits of belonging to a health... Read More

American Independence ? The True Story

It was late in 1775, and King George III was... Read More

Not Your Average Sunday Morning

Just recently my ex-husband stopped in to visit during his... Read More

The Army Corp of Engineers Having Issues Fixing Breach

The Army Corp of engineers is having a tough time... Read More

Local Author Joins History and Humor To Tell His Stories

Joseph Yakel was born and raised in New York's Capital... Read More

When Humans and Dogs Collide: Negotiations for Todays Changing Times

This morning I decided to find myself. I originally looked... Read More

The Language of Appalachia

Imagine my surprise when I went to Jamaica a few... Read More

The Worlds First Comedian?

If you ever saw Aristophanes live on stage, you must... Read More

A French Teachers Memories: First Day at School

Despite my diplomas that allowed me to teach in state... Read More

Stopping Bad Breath Bart

"Pee-ew! You smell like a skunk soaking in sardine nectar... Read More

Tales of a Spectator Spectator

Watching the fans at a minor-league baseball game is just... Read More

If, An Online Marketers Internet Addiction Poem, Can You Relate to This?

IF, An Online Internet Marketing PoemIf before you have turned... Read More

Humor Quotations - Top 35 Funny Quotations by Famous Comedians

"Education is worth a whole lot. Just think - with... Read More

Voodoo Munchies

Looking for a lighthearted and fun way to remove the... Read More

Essential Laughter

Take time to laugh at yourself and the ridiculous in... Read More

Its All About Seeing the Signs

Ace of Base hasn't seen the sign for quite some... Read More

Bed Bugs Bite

I just turned on the news a minute ago and... Read More

Fried Green Tomatoes Recipe

My next-door neighbors found a human bone in their backyard.... Read More

The Restaurant Chronicles, Part 1

Have you ever heard that saying, "The show must go... Read More