There are few sounds as amusing to me as my husband’s giggle. I haven’t known a lot of men to giggle. Reinhardt’s giggle is a straight out seven-year-old-girl-with-pigtails-that-did-something-naughty giggle. In a very masculine way, of course. It just tickles the bubbles out of me. I thought that laughter was the funniest sound ever until he and his son had a giggle fit together. I laughed so hard I thought I would die.

There’s something in laughing that leaves a person very exposed. When enjoying a hearty guffaw, a person lets down all of their defenses and allows the physicality of amusement to express itself fully. Perhaps therein lies the beauty of laughter. The wet eyes, snotty nose, and gyrating torso permit the hilarity to roll through the body to fully experience the joy of laughter.

Isn’t it strange though how closely that physical description of laughter is to crying? Very opposing emotions can manifest themselves in similar ways. I believe the base energy of any emotion is the same: it is based in our existence. It is our birthright to manifest the energy of emotions. Without this birthright we would never have any hobbies or fall in love or have any passionate conversations. The physical expression of emotion allows us to both embrace and purge ourselves of the prevailing sensation. This is a healthy thing to do. We revel in our laughter and release it into our environment instead of repressing it within our physical bodies.

When we release our hilarity it affects our environment. We all know laughter is contagious and it’s a preferred bug to some of the others out there. Others feel our merriment and are affected by it. They may laugh with you, they may laugh at you, or they may just think you’re an idiot and move on with their day. Either way the bodily expression of delight provokes a reaction.

Thus starts a chain reaction. A little laughter can carry one pretty far during the day. I have had a joke or a funny situation come back to me throughout a day and continued to laugh about it. I will admit people will look at me strangely while I’m sitting at my computer laughing at nothing apparent. I don’t care. The laughter feels good and places the not-so-good aspects of the day into an easier proportion. I’ll also recount the funny situation and have other people laughing and they’ll relate it to more people, and so it carries on. This is why one should strive not to do anything embarrassing in front of me: everyone will know by the end of the day.

Me, I don’t mind being the butt of the joke so much. I’ve clumsied myself up so often that I accept that it as a part of my nature to amuse my fellow human beings. I’ve tired myself from trying to excuse my total lack of grace and just enjoyed the laughter provoked by it. At least I don’t giggle like a little girl.

Keri lives and laughs (but doesn’t giggle) in Boyle Street.