I Want To Die Laughing

July 4, 2011
By: O. J. Cunningham

I'm not laughing nearly as much as I used to.

I seem to get most of my "chuckles" these days from Jon Stewart, on a nightly basis, at 11:00pm via the Comedy Central channel.

I know I used to laugh more often.

When I think about it for any length of time, I generally credit my lack of jocularity to (in this order) . . . age, the economy, age, money issues, business, old age and death . . . I think you get the idea.

So, beginning today, I'm paying more attention . . . that is . . . looking harder for things that are funny . . . things that should, or are supposed to make a person laugh.

I used to read Dave Barry every Sunday http://www.miamiherald.com/dave_barry/ but I no longer read a Sunday "paper" because I (like you) get all my news from the INTERNET. Damn . . . That's IT!

It becoming clearer to me now. I also used to read the "funnies" every day . . . especially on Sunday when they had their own color section in the Bay City Times.

I don't read the funnies (EVER) any more. Because, I don't get the newspaper on my doorstep any longer.

Again . . . the damn INTERNET!

I may have to reconsider this decision to cancel my Bay City Times. Maybe if there was a site to just read the funnies every day . . . I'll do some research and get back to you . . .

In the meantime, here's something (or the thought of something) that made me laugh . . .

PICTURE THIS: In the third century B.C., the Greek philosopher Chrysippus was said to have died laughing after getting his donkey drunk on wine and then watching as the donkey tried to eat figs.

Every time I read that, I laugh . . . and I don't know why.

HERE IT IS AGAIN: (Close Your Eyes -- Picture It) In the third century B.C., the Greek philosopher Chrysippus was said to have died laughing after getting his donkey drunk on wine and then watching as the donkey tried to eat figs..

Keep trying to picture it in your mind's eye . . .

You'll be smiling all day long.

I'm smiling more already.