#MemorableLaughs

Have you ever laughed so hard until tears flowed? You should try it. It feels wonderful. With that, let’s continue the second of a five-part AMPED series. Part 2 is “Surround yourself with people who makes you LAUGH! Not only have I had hearty laughs, I’ve caused others to laugh so hard to the point I looked around to see who the comedian was in the room was - certainly, not I (I thought to myself).

Many years ago, on one Saturday morning, I experienced one of many memorable and fun adventures with a dear friend of several decades. My friend and I had frequent weekend visits and purposely scheduled fun sisterhood adventures along the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Then in our mid-20s, I lived on the west side of the Coast and she on the east side. I had traveled to the east side for we had planned another exciting adventure, as sisterly friends.

That weekend, we had decided to try out a new hair stylist, a mutual male friend of ours, and a new hair style or “hair do”, something both fun and daring. We had given him free reign for any style he thought would be befitting to us. For I don’t know what we were thinking at that time. I now chalk it up as being young and carefree. Not knowing what we were in store for, the surprise looks we had on her face after looking after each other were priceless. Simultaneously, our facial expressions were like Macaulay Culkin from a scene in the movie Home Alone. Do you recall in Home Alone when Culkin (aka Kevin McCallister) held he held his face in disbelief or shock? If not, take a moment to google: macaulay-culkin-facial-expressions-in-home-alone.

Well, this is the facial expressions we had upon looking at each other’s hairstyle or hairdo. In fact, we took it a step further. Getting over the first glance, I sort of preferred hers and she liked mine. My friend’s hair was spiked with blond-like streaks. My hair was fiery red with swooped bangs to the side. Laughing so hard like it was nobody’s business, we had a look like “what had we succumbed to?”. Still giggling and pointing at my style, she said “I like yours”. In return, I said to her “I love yours!” We laughed even harder. Prior, we opted not to look in the mirror, but instead we turned to each for approval or a lack thereof. Now, taking a compact mirror to get a self -view of our fresh do’s, we were too embarrassed to ask for a redo. We just accepted it and went about our merry way laughing and prancing like rock stars.

Later in life, as grandmothers, we often reflected on and laughed at this adventure, among others, for we rocked those hairdos and dared anyone to ask us what happened. We laughed so hard that tears flowed. Not sure if it was from the sheer disappointment of our rock star hairdos or from the new girlfriend adventure shared for, we LIVED, LEARNED, LAUGHED, LOVED LIFE to the fullest!!!!!

Gala D. S. Goldsmith

President/CEO

Be mindful: “Be You. Do You. For You”