Touched by the Giggles

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My attention was drawn to an article in The Times the other day about a sense of  humour deficit. It referenced a book by Jennifer Aaker and Naomi Bagdonas entitled 'Humour, Seriously' which I vow I must read one day.

Anyway the gist of the article was to point out that once we grow up and aquire the responsibilities of the workplace environment, human beings have a tendency to lose their sense of humour and give up on the giggles. It's a bit like all those surveys on enjoying life, we reach 23 and everything is downhill from then on.

Or is it? 

Just as life satisfaction picks up again in our sixties, it seems that cheeky sense of humour never really leaves us after all; it just lies buried under the myriad of red tape and bureaucracy that weighed us down for a few decades. Moreover a quick jump into retirement and a few weeks later there we are dancing to sunbeams and in my case laughing at sunflowers. 

Clearly my own anecdotal evidence is probably in need of careful scientific evaluation. After all what happens to the stereotypical grump? Aren't grumpy and old age meant to go together, or is that just an excuse employed by Mister E?

Also is there a danger that the light-heartedness on my part could actually be a sign of serious decline in my mental faculties? Ignore old Caree, it's sad but she's becoming somewhat feeble-minded these days.

I guess one of the big differences between the working environment and retirement (apart from the lack of pay) is that the only staid and solemn expectations of you, are of your own making. If I really want to spend every day pretending it's April 1st and making a fool of myself , who is there to stop me?

Of course, very few of us do actually go around acting the goat all the time, but I do think that one of the great joys of retirement is that you honestly don't have to take yourself (or indeed anyone else for that matter) seriously anymore, unless of course you want to. Spontaneity and a devil may care attitude can abound if you let them. Besides, if it gets a bit too much fun, I can always look for a job and "good luck with that at your age, in the present climate," I roar to myself whilst rolling across the floor laughing!



Comments

Treaders said…
I have a great sense of humour, but that sadly got beaten out of me in my dreadful marriage. As soon as I was divorced it started to come back, and of course retiring certainly helped too. Thankfully my kids have great sense of humour too and it's just a joy to be around them!
18 October 2020 at 10:23
Caree Risover said…
Great to hear the laughter has returned. Unfortunately because of the distance between us, I have to rely on WhatsApp for banter with my kids. Laughing emojis are never quite the same 🤣🤣🤣
18 October 2020 at 11:18
Mona McGinnis said…
So true, Caree. Prior to retirement 7 yrs ago, I remember thinking that work just wasn't fun any more and hadn't been for quite some time. Morale had devolved. We showed up, did out work and went home with little socializing unlike decades before when we worked hard but played hard as well and I think that contributed to a real team spirit. Anyway, like you said, spontaneity and a devil-may-care attitude can abound. I think it's something we have to work on in adulthood, to retrieve that sense of joy and giddiness we had in childhood.
18 October 2020 at 14:11
Caree Risover said…
And once we work on it, it becomes truly infectious!
18 October 2020 at 15:07
Jennyff said…
I do miss the uncontrollable giggles that never happen now. The worst case I remember was as children my brother and I bored in church. decided to tie the belts if our coats together so we were attached to each other, For some reason we couldn’t stop giggling, we practically choked trying to suppress the laughter, more than 60 years ago and it still makes me smile to think of it. The parents were not amused,
25 October 2020 at 11:10
Caree Risover said…
Made me smile to visualise it too, although I can also imagine being strict with my two if they’d done something similar
25 October 2020 at 13:27
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