Laughter the Best Medicine

Lucy persuades Ricky to let her be the actress for a live commercial selling liquid vitamins during Rickys show, called Vitameatavegamin.  Knowing his wife’s antics, yet loving her, he relents and gives her the job. Lucy is elated and works to prove that she will be spectacular! And she is.  While on set Lucy has her first taste of this revolting stuff, her face twists and her body shakes! After several practice takes, she is able to conceal her disgust, but with a 23 percent alcohol content, she now has a new problem, she is sloshed. That night, during the variety show- Lucy interrupts Ricky mid-song and she is carted off stage. At about this time, most folks watching are experiencing tears of laughter.

Laughter- the health benefits of laughter include increased immunity, relieve pain, bring greater happiness and, according to Positive psychology, is one of the main 24 strengths one can possess. But we adults don’t laugh enough; children laugh as much as 400 times per day, but adults only laugh around 15. “I Love Lucy” aired from October 1951 to May of 1957. The Korean war was going on then and this unique show brought the medicine of laughter to the masses. In fact, even today, there is hardly a person who does not pause when channel surfing at an I Love Lucy Episode.

Recently I was in a cabinet shop waiting for some materials, it was just me and the bookkeeper in the building. She looked tired and bored as the clock ticked away. I decided to test this theory of laughter and its ability to lighten one’s spirits and said to her, “you know while I wait for my building materials, I am going to sit over here and watch an episode of “I Love Lucy” on my phone.” She sat up, her face brightened, and she began to tell me about her favorite episodes.  Guess which one it was.  It was when Lucy and Ethel get a job at a Chocolate factory working under a humorless boss-bitch!

Given the current circumstances of the world, it is important to know that it is not only okay to laugh but necessary. In Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, the Old Testament instructs God’s people that there is a time for everything, a time to plant, reap, build, tear down, dance, sing and a time to weep and a time to laugh. I cannot help but think that one of the main reasons for the popularity of the series the Chosen is that Johnathan Roumie, the actor that plays Jesus, laughs. He has a wise humor about him that is God-like and a human humor that is relatable.

You have your marching orders for the day, go out and be joyous, laugh, share a joke or if not, go watch an episode of “I LoveLucy.”