Getting the Last Laugh!

Getting the Last Laugh!

©Allen Merritt 2017

I love it when strange things happen out of the clear blue and afterwards you realize it was pretty funny. In hindsight, you start laughing and are thankful for the humor of it all and the clarity of making light of a moment.

For example, I was on the phone today clearing up some business with a financial institution. I was on speaker phone. I figure if I'm are going to be on hold for great lengths of time just to be able to speak to a person I might as well accomplish some cleaning chores. Anyway, a young man finally answered the phone asking how he could help. As I explained what I needed, the young man made a statement to the effect of, "I see the account you're referring to belongs to your husband. May I speak to your husband please?" 

OMG!

LOL!

ROTFLMAO!

I hesitated for a moment and then said, "I am not a woman." 

The young man must have been a little embarrassed as he laughed and made a comment about there is a poor connection on the line. 

Now, that's funny! 

Another moment I observed this week had to do with a woman I was working with who every time she went into the bathroom managed to come out with toilet paper trailing behind her. She was a tiny thing and never seemed to notice it. What made it even more lighthearted was how the big bodybuilder guy on set was the one who would stop and help remove the toilet paper. There was a sense of funny there coupled with loving-kindness. You got to love that!

Sometimes that kind of humor helps make the day roll along a little smoother, especially when you allow yourself a moment to chuckle over it. We need this in our day to day.

My mind loves to consider the funny possibilities. Such as the time when a lady called my phone and asked me if while I was out at the store if I could pick up a few extra items she had forgot to put on the list. Of course, I said I would. Then I hung up and laughed myself silly. I guess there was someone running around out there with my name picking up the groceries.

There have been a couple of times I would think to myself how funny it would be to walk up to someone and swat them on the backside and them run. Okay, that is a bit of a childish prank. But my internal laugh meter went off and lightened the moment. 

Sometimes I think the powers that be deliberately allow these situations to take place or people to cross our paths to remind us not to take everything so seriously. I think this is important, because I tend to be serious as often as not and have been accused of it repeatedly. But I find my funny bone is still intact. I notice things that make me laugh.

We can make each day more positive in seeing through little misunderstandings or mishaps. Call them hiccups, if you will, but there are moments which catch us off guard meant to lighten our day and our load with a touch of humor. It is too easy to fall into the trap of letting ourselves be sucked into the drama of it all. My suggestion is to let the unexpected shine its light once in a while and show us a little love.

I remember another time when I was taken aback when the person on the other end of the phone asked to speak to my wife. As a single man, my immediate thought was focused on did someone know something I didn’t? Did someone slip a ring on my finger when I was out of it? I guess the real question in these little moments is who is getting the last laugh?

My mother used to tell me that if I was going to make a big fumble I might as well be the first one to make it well known and get the most out of it before someone else took credit for bringing me down. I think this falls into the same category of getting the last laugh and finding humor in every situation. That’s not to say we are not to take situations seriously or forget responsibility and accountability. It simply means we all fall short of the glory and wander down a wrong path once in a while. We all trip up. We all react too quickly sometimes. We all misunderstand because we don’t know what is going on or have all the facts. Accordingly, assumptions are made such as the young man assuming I was a woman over the phone.

Who’s getting the last laugh?

Final answer - I hope it is you.

It may not always be about who is getting the last laugh, but are we laughing and finding ways to love our lives? With that in mind, may this week be one of finding positivity in those unexpected humorous moments.

And if you can, share that laugh with everyone else. Then we’ll all have a good time.

Here’s to living life on a positive note.

Cheers!