Opinion

Lighten up a little and laugh

Zach Lee
Opinion Columnist

This past weekend, I went to a downtown park for a picnic with one of my best friends. As we ate our sandwiches and wished we had brought something to drink, I looked up at one of the skyscrapers.

In an incredibly philosophical mood, I told my friend that the clouds reflected in the glass were like second-hand smoke. She broke out laughing and told me that the mayonnaise in my turkey sandwich must have gone bad. I came out of the dreamy mood and laughed at myself.

That doesnit happen too often today. We seem to take ourselves entirely too seriously. We seem to think that the world will refuse to respect us if we have a little immature fun. The last time I laughed at a bodily function, someone else in the room turned around and told me to grow up. I hope Iim never too old to laugh. Otherwise, I feel really sorry for some of my professors.

Weire fixated on the glorified tough guy. In music, rappers and rockers alike have to wear a scowl to stay on the charts. In the movies, well, the box office numbers suggest that weid all rather go see the latest Vin Diesel movie than the greatest low-brow humor movie ever: Kung Pow: Enter the Fist.

Even the subcultures that vow to go against the grain of popular society take part in this fascination. From coffee-house aspiring writers to the punk-rock underground, everyone wants to be taken seriously, but that doesnit mean you canit appreciate the natural comedy of life.

Humor and respect are not mutually exclusive. In fact, probably the most respected people are secure enough to laugh at themselves. Look at the guest stars on Saturday Night Live over the years. People with such high standing as Janet Reno and Bob Dole have appeared on the show only to be the butt of their own jokes. If anything, their respective senses of humor only increased the number of their admirers.

Donit let people tell you that everything changes in college. College isnit the cocoon where we suddenly transform from snot-nosed children into stone-faced adults. Itis a place where we become more mature, but being more mature doesnit mean that you canit laugh at farts or your own mistakes. College, as a buffered part of the real world, may be the best time and place in all of our lives to laugh.

Letis say you stay up all night finishing two papers for two different classes and in your sleep-intoxicated stupor, you turn them in to the wrong professors. Itis not the end of the world; itis funny. Iim sure they would understand the mix-up. You can always go back and fix the mistakes you make in life, and youire the one who gets to decide whether to laugh or yell.

We all chuckle and giggle and snicker somewhere along the road. Sometimes weire just afraid to, but no oneis going to condemn us if we do. I still think the second-hand smoke line was poetic, but Iill admit it was also a little funny. Learn from my experience, and remember, the next time something tickles you, itis okay to laugh.

Lee, a freshman English major, can be reached at aliquidsoldier@hotmail.com.