Laughter Lesson

Why so many glum faces today?

Tara Chand Seth unwittingly triggered a debate this morning when he pointed out that “by laughing we extend our lives by 10 per cent”. Shekhawat had a doubt: Whether it was 10 per cent or 10 years? For, it would make a difference for a person of say, 50 years. If it was by 10 per cent, s/he stood to gain by an extended life span of five years. And if it was by 10 years, well, the person would enjoy double the benefit and live up to 60 years. The older the person, the more the benefits, he deduced.
Sensing where the argument was going, Tara Chand declared that he was no expert and was only sharing what he had read in a “lekh” yesterday. Besides, who was to say, since there can be no proof one way or the other.

Happy Birthday, Ramila Mistry

And at his age (of 83 years), it made no difference whether it was 10 years or 10 per cent because in any case, he would continue to laugh as he has done all his life. “I don’t think it is possible for anyone not to laugh at all,” he said, shrugging his shoulders.
This brought Srichand Arora into the argument. “It all depends how you laugh,” he noted. “If you have to derive any benefit from laughter, you have to laugh out heartily, dil khol ke and with your mouths wide open. I have noticed many people here do not even open their mouth properly while laughing. I do not understand why show such miserliness in laughter also…”
“I always laugh with my heart open,” said Shekhwat, jumping up from his chair, finger raised. “After the open-heart surgery, my gates are hamesha open. I cannot laugh any other way!”
In all this banter and good humour, we were reminded that today was Ramila Mistry’s birthday and an extra laugh was in order even as she was away at Indore. We wished her in absentia and laughed out loud with our hearts and mouths W-I-D-E open for her!
Jagmohan Papneja:
Laughing increases your life span tremendously. But no data specifically links laughter to extended life span by any defined period of time.
Harish Wadhwa:
* Happy Birthday, Ramila-ji. I hope you are having a good time in Indore with samosa- kachori-Joshi ke bhalle- petis- mixture- jalebi- imarti- sabudane ki khichadi... Well, the list is long. No, no I am not asking you to get all these for us, but just suggesting you enjoy these in Indore on your birthday today (LOL).
* Laughter is the best medicine. And it is free. So might as well enjoy it.