Fun, Playfulness and Laughter

By M.A. Emmanuel Arockiam, SJ

Moments Etched in My Memory: Many decades ago, when I was in a Catholic elementary school, I had two friends who were mischievous, spontaneous and creative. Though I, an introvert, was scared of getting into trouble, I enjoyed their playfulness and endless pranks.

During the recess one day, when all the 1,500 students were under the shade of many trees on campus, my friends called me as they were pointing their fingers at the trees above. They told me, “Emmanuel, pretend to see a monkey above.” And I did. Looking at our eyes and fingers, others curiously asked me, “What are you looking at?” No sooner had I said, “Monkey” than the whole school, including the teachers, started looking for the non-existent monkey. Within minutes, each one had a different version of the story, with all the details of whence the monkey came, and where it went, its size, the varying number of young ones, etc.

The headmaster rang the bell and asked the students to get into their classes, while my friends, looking innocent like doves, were asking one teacher, “Sir, where did the monkey go?”

Even our Beschi College, Dindigul, which housed the retired Jesuits, Juniors and pious Novices, erupted one morning in silent wonder. Some novices had the nerve to tie the clapper of the church bell with a rough cloth so that the bell would not reverberate at five in the morning. After pulling the rope a few times, the scrupulous Brother panicked and ran to ring the electric bell. Something out of the ordinary! We, novices, could not wait till the recreation time to remind one another that it was April Fool’s Day. Fortunately, the novice master, tolerant of this deviance, said, “Go and say ‘sorry’ to Brother!”

The wisdom of real saints would assert that we have a right to be happy, and life would be insipid and boring without fun, laughter, jokes and even pranks.

Joy in Life: Life is not a bed of roses. It has its own heavy demands and consequent stresses. Fulfilling the responsibilities of all our roles may be like carrying the cross daily. However, life is not an endless season of Lent. It’s sad that a few take life tragically and refuse to remove the crown of thorns which they started wearing in childhood or the Novitiate. Some are always hyper alert that the halo they have put on may fall off. All people, including the religious, must be deep down happy.

The wisdom of real saints would assert that we have a right to be happy, and life would be insipid and boring without fun, laughter, jokes and even pranks. Even if the whole world acclaims that someone is holy on account of his/her austerity and devoutness, I would not consider him/her a saint if he/she were not happy. A sad saint is a sorry saint who needs spiritual counseling, since religious life and lack of joy are contradictory in terms.

Reinventing Religious Life: Religious life, known for its rigid routine, grand silence and long hours of spiritual activities, may breed in us a fear of being happy. Some subconsciously believe that a funereal face, stony heart, melancholic tone, and joyless life may correspond to the serious purpose of religious life and path of holiness. Going beyond smiling at social media jokes and reels privately, we can spice our routine community life with not only the presence but also joy of Christ the Bridegroom with a culture of sharing exhilarating funny jokes and hearty laughter.

All that we need is the humility to let our ego-guards down; a little bit of child-like craziness to think differently, an eye for finding funny things and some sort of reckless way of enjoying daily life and ministry. Making others laugh is a skill that avoids a victim stance and biting humor, cynical jokes, sarcastic or derisive laughter, and offensive repartee.

Religious life, known for its rigid routine, grand silence and long hours of spiritual activities, may breed in us a fear of being happy.

Why Fun and Laughter?: The benefits of fun and laughter are many. They are inevitable for a fulfilling life; indispensable for physical and mental health. They keep depression and boredom at bay; drive away the so-called existential angst; protect us with the armor of stress-busters. “Laughing releases dopamine, which may act as a natural, non-pharmacological way to boost brain chemistry, reduce stress, and improve mood. It triggers the release of neurotransmitters, including endorphins, which create feelings of pleasure and relaxation.” We need not be experts in Stand-up Comedy. We can, at least, laugh when we hear a joke. 

Joyful Community: The community that indulges in non-hostile humour will be a happy community. It’ll be a learning community if it can perceive the lighter side of life, people’s idiosyncrasies, and whimsical behaviour. Emotionally mature religious will possess a high level of self-esteem to even crack self-deprecatory jokes, recalling their own mistakes and foibles. A joyful community with cheerful social interactions will be psychologically attractive to guests and prospective candidates to the Society.

Courtesy: Jivan

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