We have discussed, several times in this column, that laughter is the best medicine. I love to laugh and who doesn’t feel better after an evening of smiling and being happy. Researchers aren’t sure if it’s actually the act of laughing that makes people better or all the things associated with it, like a sense of humor, a positive attitude and the support of your friends and family.
Some people believe that the benefits of laughter actually mimic a mild workout, because we stretch muscles in our face, plus our pulse and blood pressure go up and we breathe faster sending more oxygen to the tissues.
Here may be the best part – laughter burns calories … now that’s 10 to 15 minutes of laughter burns 50 calories. That is a lot of work for a little result, but it is in the positive column. One piece of chocolate averages about 50 calories, so if you laugh for 10 minutes you can freely eat the chocolate.
Now that we know why we should laugh, I’m going to hopefully give you some reasons to laugh. I’m sharing with you some of these instructions located on products you may have purchased. It is safe to say the authors are not geniuses!
On a Tiramisu dessert (printed on bottom) – “Do not turn upside down.” (Well, duh, a bit late, huh?)
On Planter’s peanuts – “Warning: contains nuts.” (Seriously?)
On children`s cough medicine – “Do not drive a car or operate machinery after taking this medication.” (We could do a lot to reduce the rate of construction accidents if we could just get those 5-year-olds with head colds off those bulldozers.)
On bread pudding container – “Product will be hot after heating.” (Well I hope so.)
On a bag of Fritos – “You could be a winner! No purchase necessary. Details inside.” (The shoplifter special?)
On a bar of Dial soap – “Directions: Use like regular soap.” (And that would be?)
On packaging of an iron – “Do not iron clothes on body.” (But wouldn’t this save me time?)
On Nytol sleep aid – “Warning: May cause drowsiness.” (I›m taking this because … ?)
On most brands of Christmas lights – “For indoor or outdoor use only.” (As opposed to what?)
On a Westjet packet of nuts – “Instructions: Open packet, eat nuts.” (Enough said)
On a child’s Superman costume – “Wearing of this garment does not enable you to fly.”
On a Canadian chainsaw – “Do not attempt to stop chain with your hands or genitals.” (Oh my gosh, was there a lot of this happening somewhere?)
For more laughter opportunities – Here, I can share with you some thoughts from a possibly humorously disturbed person.
“The location of your mailbox shows you how far away from your house you can be in a robe before you start looking like a mental patient.”
“My therapist said that my narcissism causes me to misread social situations. I›m pretty sure he was hitting on me.”
“The pharmacist asked me my birthdate again today. I›m pretty sure he›s going to get me something.”
And finally – “Money can›t buy happiness, but it keeps the kids in touch!”
Now for a nice story that I believe will make you smile. I saw this happening as we were driving down the interstate highway in Georgia, recently. I wish I›d had my phone handy to take a picture but it all happened so quickly that I missed a great snapshot. I hope you get the picture from my description.
There was a highway patrol car on the side of the road with lights flashing. Immediately you think someone has been stopped for speeding. The truth was quite different. As I peered out the window I got a quick view of a mother and two little children standing down into the trees on this very hot day, away from the highway and the Georgia Highway Patrolman changing her flat tire. The temperature was over 90 degrees and for me that made it a triple good deed!
Now I hope you laughed or smiled at least once.
(Melanie Behrens – melb@marysvillejt.com)