I don’t hear people laugh much anymore. Maybe they never did, except in my family. We always laughed a lot. My Mom had 4 sisters and when they got together it was eruptions of laughter, peels of laughter, riots of laughter, waves of laughter. Now, bear in mind, there were sad times and unhappiness too, but I want to remember of joy of laughter.
And l’ve always used humor to make people feel good, to defuse a sensitive situation, to relax folks, to entertain and to get attention. At heart I am an entertainer and thrive on being on stage, whether there is a stage or not.
Usually people regard me with suspicion when I make jokes or quips, but they come around in time to appreciate who I really am.
At one point in my life I noticed that the best jokes and sense of humor came from highly intelligent people, usually professionals.
I initiated conversations with doctors, dentists, lawyers and any other professional people I came into contact with and their humor bore out my observations. From there I decided to research Humor specifically in relation to giftedness in children.
At that time only two other people on the world were doing the same research; on in Manchester England and one in Tele Avi Isreal.
But LIFE intervened. My mother was diagnosed with terminal cancer and I felt I had to come to America to help her through the final days.
After that, I resurrected my interest and began serious research under the tutelege of the Gifted Advisor at the University of New South Wales.
Then another situation arose which made concentration utterly impossible. My husband was diagnosed with a lung tumor which was cancerous. Terminal.
I never got back to my research as time moved on but I am aware that on referrals and characteristics of giftedness in students, appreciation and use of humor is listed. It came about that humore is indeed recognized as a trait of very intelligent people.
So I keep on laughing, keep on smiling at ridiculous situations in life. Humor has served me well.
A day without laughter is a day wasted.