Innocent laughter, or the giggles

There are only a few sounds that can bring an immediate feeling of well-being to me, independent of my current situation. By that I mean that even if I am feeling blue or angry or even fear, these sounds can snap me out of it.

One of these sounds is the innocent laughter of a child. When a toddler or preschooler gets the giggles you are witnessing pure happiness. It is a real manifestation of joy.

Erin, the daughter of a friend, is giving us a giggle demonstration in the photo. She has an Ariel costume (the Little Mermaid from Disney, not the fairy from The Tempest) for Halloween. According to her mother, she loves donning the wig and having a little fun. That is a wig and not her natural hair. She put this thing on all by herself. Even I need help with wigs. But I have a gigantic head so it is more difficult for me.

My point, however, is that Erin epitomizes what is wonderful about childhood. We don't have to be self-conscious. We can have fun doing nearly anything. We can laugh and smile and show we're happy and never have to explain ourselves.

I miss being a kid. That could be why I laugh so much. But my laughter has lost its innocence. I try to find humor in situations, real or made up (maybe it's my sitcom training as a youth, even today when I see a M*A*S*H rerun, I can see my mannerisms as copies of Alan Alda's.)

I can't recall the last time I laughed for the sake of laughing. I can imagine that people would think I was crazy for doing so.

What gives you the giggles? Can you make them happen on your own?

What other sounds trigger a profound feeling of happiness and well-being for you?

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