One evening, Chiara and I were at the dining room. She was busy watching some kids' show through her BlackBerry Tablet while I was concentrating on a article for the web. Suddenly, she laughed quite loudly. At first, I was annoyed, but thought to myself: "When was the last time I laughed out loud?". I realized I haven't been laughing as frequently as I used to be.
Filipinos are usually a happy people. We smile, we laugh, we make jokes out of almost anything to the point that it can become offensive to individuals and other cultures. There was a joke during the Martial Law years that went like this. There were two people on board a plane. One of them said to the other, "Throw money from the plane so that people would be happy." "No," said the other, "Throw Marcos out of the plane and that will make the people happy!"
As a people we have a funny bone that could easily be tickled by the likes of Dolphy (RIP), TVJ (Tito, Vic, and Joey), Vice Ganda, etc. Making us laugh, I found out isn't just comedians' job. Even politicians and men of the cloth have devised ways to draw laughter from their audience. What's this on Facebook about a joke made by the feisty Senator Mirian Defensor-Santiago? "Kung mahal mo ang isang tao, ipaglaban mo. Kung dalawa ang mahal mo, paglabanin mo."
There is an incident that happened when I was a teenager that still makes me laugh out loud every time I remember it:
Mommy Rosie paid her older sister Tia Lils a visit. When she was about to leave, Tia Lils asked us 4 boys -- my brother Gio, my cousins Erwin and Eldin (Tia Lils' sons), and I - to get Mommy a tricycle as she needs to go to another place. No one seemed interested to go out and walk about 40-45 yards away to get a tricycle. Besides, it was quite a sunny, hot afternoon. Later, I realized nothing's going to happen if all of us would ignore my aunt's request. So I walked to the tricycle station and got a vehicle for my aunt. As I was approaching the house, I saw Tia Lils outside. When I got down from the tricycle, she told me that Mommy has left - riding a tricycle that someone else brought (I think it was Gio or Erwin who beat us to it!). She wasn't finished talking when we saw another tricycle making its way to the house with Eldin on it! Instead of being crossed, my aunt and us just laughed at our folly!
It has been said that "Laughter is the best medicine". If it is, then we should have more of it, otherwise life would be an unbearable burden.
A few days ago, I received a letter from Sr. Mary Francis O'Connor, a nun from the Convent of Poor Clares in Arundel. She used to be Mother Mary Francis when she was the Abbess of the Poor Clare Monastery in Bulwell. I printed her a copy of my article last week. She wrote:
"It was good to hear of all you are doing on your...is it 'web site', it must be helping many people. May God bless and help you in your work for Him. There is so much harmful rubbish published today."
Thanks, Sister!
Filipinos are usually a happy people. We smile, we laugh, we make jokes out of almost anything to the point that it can become offensive to individuals and other cultures. There was a joke during the Martial Law years that went like this. There were two people on board a plane. One of them said to the other, "Throw money from the plane so that people would be happy." "No," said the other, "Throw Marcos out of the plane and that will make the people happy!"
As a people we have a funny bone that could easily be tickled by the likes of Dolphy (RIP), TVJ (Tito, Vic, and Joey), Vice Ganda, etc. Making us laugh, I found out isn't just comedians' job. Even politicians and men of the cloth have devised ways to draw laughter from their audience. What's this on Facebook about a joke made by the feisty Senator Mirian Defensor-Santiago? "Kung mahal mo ang isang tao, ipaglaban mo. Kung dalawa ang mahal mo, paglabanin mo."
There is an incident that happened when I was a teenager that still makes me laugh out loud every time I remember it:
Mommy Rosie paid her older sister Tia Lils a visit. When she was about to leave, Tia Lils asked us 4 boys -- my brother Gio, my cousins Erwin and Eldin (Tia Lils' sons), and I - to get Mommy a tricycle as she needs to go to another place. No one seemed interested to go out and walk about 40-45 yards away to get a tricycle. Besides, it was quite a sunny, hot afternoon. Later, I realized nothing's going to happen if all of us would ignore my aunt's request. So I walked to the tricycle station and got a vehicle for my aunt. As I was approaching the house, I saw Tia Lils outside. When I got down from the tricycle, she told me that Mommy has left - riding a tricycle that someone else brought (I think it was Gio or Erwin who beat us to it!). She wasn't finished talking when we saw another tricycle making its way to the house with Eldin on it! Instead of being crossed, my aunt and us just laughed at our folly!
It has been said that "Laughter is the best medicine". If it is, then we should have more of it, otherwise life would be an unbearable burden.
***
A few days ago, I received a letter from Sr. Mary Francis O'Connor, a nun from the Convent of Poor Clares in Arundel. She used to be Mother Mary Francis when she was the Abbess of the Poor Clare Monastery in Bulwell. I printed her a copy of my article last week. She wrote:
"It was good to hear of all you are doing on your...is it 'web site', it must be helping many people. May God bless and help you in your work for Him. There is so much harmful rubbish published today."
Thanks, Sister!
