The giggling curse

I was originally going to title this post "Famous Quotes" because the quote I'm going to share with you is what started all of these thoughts - but, my thoughts evolved into a post more about the curse of getting the giggles at the worst times possible.

Last night, Kevin went to prop his foot up on the bed to stretch his legs. When he did, he conked his foot really, really hard on the [wooden] bottom or edge of the bed. I was in brushing my teeth and I heard the thud really loud. It even sounded painful! I walked in to ask him if he was okay and to see what happened. I could tell it really hurt and I felt bad but I couldn't seem to keep from giggling a little bit. So I told him what my brother always used to say when we were kids (thus the "famous quotes" title). If someone would trip and fall or something he would say, (amidst his laughter) "I'm not laughing because you got hurt - I'm just laughing because it looked so funny!" You see, he and I (along with my Mom) have this same trait where we laugh if we are nervous, embarrassed, or any other number of things besides when something's funny. Just in the last couple of years one time when we were all home, we were at my parents church in Massena. Bud and I got tickled about something even though we weren't even next to each other and I couldn't stop laughing. If I looked at him, we both started laughing all over again. Luckily I can laugh quietly usually but it was still so terrible. I thought, "Goodness Becky! Here you are supposed to be an adult and you have a kid of your own and you can't keep your composure." But as embarrassed as I was, I still thought that I was going to have to leave church for a little bit.

I can't even TELL you the number of times when our whole family was supposed to be singing the special song in church. All it took was the piano player to play the song a little differently than we had practiced it, or someone to mix the words up or start singing at the wrong time, and the "mom, only son, and second daughter" half of the family would fall apart into giggles for the rest of the song, lucky if we could stop laughing long enough to sing any more notes. Meanwhile, the other half of the family would valliantly carry on, singing their hearts out very frustrated by the giggling, non-singing half of the family. There were many of those half-giggled, half-sung versions of "Surely Goodness and Mercy" or "Touring that City". Thing is, I usually had to fight tears once I went and sat back down because I was so embarrassed (my mom was the same way) but I just COULDN'T seem to stop laughing in the moment. 'Course, once you get started giggling when you know you need to stop, it is almost impossible to stop.

Then there were the times where we had car problems or a flat tire. I will NEVER forget my mom and us kids going somewhere near Indianapolis, when our station wagon got a flat tire and went bumping down the road. Lynette was a nervous wreck and probably in tears (though I don't remember the tears as a fact), Rachel had such a calm exterior though I'm sure it was stressful to her. She was so helpful (seriously); she was like, "You can get off to the shoulder now, there's an exit coming up. We can cripple into that gas station and call Daddy etc. " Bud and I were helping out by sitting in the backseat giggling of course. We had enough sense to try not to let my mom know we were laughing because she probably would have had a way to scare the giggle out of us. I vividly remember thinking at the time that I wish I could be more mature and helpful like Rachel but I couldn't seem to help myself. If I get a flat tire now (especially by myself) I stress out and I don't usually laugh but it was something about bumping down the road I'm sure combined with us being nervous and knowing my mom was a nervous wreck. I'm certain our laughter was mostly a nervous response.

Before you criticize me too much or think me insensitive, understand that I DON'T LIKE this character trait about myself and I don't intentionally let myself laugh uncontrollably just because I think it's funny. There are/have been times when I would have about paid money to be able to not laugh in situations. Actually though, I think I might be making progress because there are situations now where I am REALLY nervous and I feel this giggle inside me and I know it's stupid because there is nothing funny and I can keep my composure sometimes. Also, more and more now it seems like I tend to cry if I am really embarrassed or do something stupid so I suppose that has to be some kind of progress - at least it's a more appropriate emotion. Just don't leave me in the purse section at Penney's where there's a rich, overweight woman who is loudly griping away about there being no white purses that strike her fancy while she walks through the whole purse section "tooting" all the meanwhile - right Rach? (Yes, that really happened and even Rachel had to walk away quickly because we were both laughing so hard.)

Don't ask because I don't remember the reason for this

pose - there probably was NO good reason. The sad thing

is, Bud is a little more justified in his goofiness here

because he was probably 11 or 12 but I had just

GRADUATED FROM HIGH SCHOOL! I think we were

probably making fun of how when some people get their

picture taken (even just a snapshot) they stand real

straight with their arms by their side like a soldier with a

cheesy grin on their face. (Just a guess!) :)