Where’s Your Laughing Place?

Suggested audio/video: Song of the South – Everybody’s Got A Laughin’ Place

When I was a child, I loved the Walt Disney production Song of the South (released 1946) and the stories and songs character Uncle Remus told not just to the children in the film, but to the whole world who watched this heart-warming production.

Brer Rabbit (historical background in link) was a rabbit who used his quick thinking and wits to escape all sorts of trouble that he often got himself into and one thing in particular that stood out for me as a fascinated little girl was the notion of having a Laughing Place! Although in the Disney film, the laughing place was actually a trap for the fox and bear to get stung by bees in as Brer Rabbit lured them into then escaped from their deadly intentions.

I pondered the concept of it being somewhere to go to simply laugh away all your troubles until you feel great enough to just keep on hoppin’ along singing “Zip a dee doo dah… my oh my what a wonderful day!”. It was more often than not a favourite spot in the forest we used to live beside near what sadly was Cousland Farm in Seafield, Scotland. I had an awesome den dad built for me with branches and ferns that me and my neighbouring friend used to hide in, often with my much-missed maniac spaniel Haggis too. Or it was up a tree or even somewhere in the nearby town of Blackburn where my dear friend Emma (devotion to her HERE) lived. I had Laughing Places during my rehab and working life too, they were ever present no matter what the situation or stage in life.

Today my Laughing Place was the street leading down towards the chip shop. As I strolled down with my freshly washed hair still wet because I couldn’t be bothered drying it, I felt this amazing surge rise up within me and I broke out into a huge silly grin and then laughed. It felt like I was on top of the world but it was really a spike in the feel-good hormone dopamine. (I wish they’d bottle the stuff!). I snorted then giggled and headed to the chip shop to treat my husband and I to much-deserved large chicken shish kebabs which we ate with greasy hands whilst laughing yet again but this time to genious UK comedy Green Wing which we both highly recommend.

You see dear reader, your Laughing Place can be absolutely ANYWHERE you want it to be, wherever you need it to be so that you can take it with you and if ever you need to, allow your inner Disney loving innocent child shine through and enjoy the day.

© Copyright: Sharon Lawson™