I truly believe that it is the magic ingredient that keeps us youthful with a spring in our step, and best equipped to feel that life is truly worth living. Whenever people remark on my appearance and point out any new wrinkles, I always attribute them to being laughter lines, but if you met me you might think that surely nothing is that funny! Regardless, that's the way that I roll, and I will always preach that laughter is the best medicine.
This probably explains why when I get a cold it lasts for weeks!
Following this idea through, it arguably means that comedians are as valuable to us as doctors. I don't know that if I break my leg playing football I would welcome Chris Rock coming to treat me rather than say McDreamy from Grey's Anatomy but I think you get my drift. I count myself very lucky that I am surrounded by a wonderful clique of mates who share my warped sense of humour so literally for over one hour every day, we laugh like hyenas at absolutely everything. My mate Marty is a comic genius.
He proposed that a famous chocolate company should invent a new chocolate bar called "The Credit Crunch" for these troubled times. That's a killer idea, don't you think? It would have to be very cheap and probably contain a slither of chocolate and some nuts but I think it would be a phenomenon! Imagine all the free publicity it would get every time the world's economic problems were mentioned in the media.
They wouldn't have to spend a penny on advertising. I am convinced that the fun we have as a group of mates is much better than a lot of what passes for comedy on the TV these days… if only any of us had the skills to write it all down, we would be millionaires. But the funny thing about comedy (if you excuse the unintentional pun) is that it's different for everyone, so who knows. My mum best sums it up with one of her classic slogans "Funny things make me laugh" and that is a truism for all of us I guess.
I don't know why but there are some things that just seem universally funny to all. I made a TV promo recently that I wasn't even sure I would be allowed to play on the network but luckily we took the risk and used it … and it turned out to be a massive success. In my real job we spend hours chewing pencils trying to come up with ground-breaking creative ideas to market movies and channels and shows etc … and we are willing to commit loads of expensive technology and people skills to achieve our objective.
Medical studies tell us that stress is one of the primary contributing factors to many of the ills that plague us in life. It can be the reason why "conditions" that are apparently present in all of us flare up and affect some individuals rather than others. If that is true, it's even greater reason to try to recognise the importance of making as much room as you can for as many chuckles as you can fit into your everyday life.
I hope that when my time comes, I can literally die laughing watching Ace Ventura or Anchorman … I want to be carried out in two coffins, one for my body and one for my head that would have fallen off watching the hero's antics.
Keep smile-ingly yours
