Inappropriate Laughter

One of my summer jobs during high school was as an aide in a mental institution.  They assigned me to the hard-core unit.  And by hard-core, I mean these men were not there to get over a rough patch in their otherwise functional lives.  They were battling debilitating mental disorders that would keep some of them from ever really being out in the world again.  I could tell a million stories – some of them even happy or humorous – about that place.  But I just want to touch on one phrase that has always stuck with me from those days.

At the beginning of each shift, there was a brief turnover meeting between the staff leaving and the staff arriving.  Each patient’s day was briefly summarized for those beginning a new shift.  One of the most often repeated statements about a patient was the phrase “inappropriate laughter.”  As in, “Seldon has been exhibiting a lot of inappropriate laughter today.” 

Even though I understood what they meant by it in the context of the hospital, that phrase always triggered in my mind the thought that surely laughter, of any kind, is usually good.  Right?

Well, a few days ago I would have had to write a big INAPPROPRIATE LAUGHTER on my own chart.  Seems I was not mature enough to keep it together during yoga class when we were in Corpse Pose, all silent, eyes closed, doing our post-practice relaxation, and this guy started snoring so hard I’m pretty sure the ends of his yoga mat were flapping. 

The yoga endorphins…the snoring…it was all just too much for me.

Here’s hoping everybody enjoys a great laugh today!  The more inappropriate, the better.