I’m not funny when I want to be. I try to tell jokes, but they usually flop. I forget the punchline, or my timing is way off. People often chuckle sideways or look at me as if trying to decipher if I am serious or not. But rarely do I get a laugh when trying for one.
Many years ago, I went on a mission trip to Guatemala, and the pastors there told us not to try to tell jokes because they rarely translate well. Well, I got nervous when I was speaking (and someone else was interpreting what I said into Spanish), and I discovered that I am also not funny in Spanish.
When I am just speaking normally, however, I often get big laughs. I say some of the dumbest things. People often tell me that I’m hilarious… when I’m not trying to be hilarious. I say things backwards, or say things that show how gullible I am. My children have a heyday quoting me on Twitter. Here’s the quote where I was trying to prove that I’m not always boring: ”I’ll have you know I am the life of the party. I am the party. People love it when I come to parties. I am a party animal.” Yes, I actually said that out loud to my son. And the Twitterverse is now aware.
But you know what? It’s okay. It feels so good to just laugh — even at myself, when it’s not disrespectful. Years fall off of us when we laugh. It’s like medicine to our souls. And when we share laughter with someone else, it’s even better.
Sometimes when I’m crabby, my husband turns on America’s Funniest Home Videos because he knows it will bring me out of my funk and make me laugh whether I want to or not. And it almost always works.
Proverbs 17:22 says, “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person’s strength.”
I may not be funny when I try to be, but I’ve learned to laugh at myself anyway. Laughter is good for my body, mind, and spirit. When was the last time you had a good, honest belly laugh? If you need some inspiration, find a YouTube video of a baby laughing — I bet you’ll laugh along.
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