Laughter is what I want out of Life

I've come to realize something interesting about myself over the last year or so. It's been going on for longer than that but I've only just started to really get introspective with this realization. 

I love laughing. 

In fact, laughter may be my favorite thing in life. 

And well the truth is, I naturally laugh a lot. Anyone can easily make me laugh. A simple pun or stupid joke; it doesn't take much. But what I really have come to enjoy are more special times of laughter. 

I was watching Psych the other day, a TV show I've been showing my boyfriend recently. At the end of one of the episodes, the main character and two supporting characters are all three sitting at a desk, chairs pulled up, eating Chinese food out of to-go containers and laughing hysterically together. They are essentially re-living part of the episode and laughing about it or something. 

Later it struck me: that same laughter was what I enjoyed myself the most. Times like when my bestie had her cosplay wings break and we sang "Take these broken wings" walking down the hall of the convention hall. Or on twitch when Starjun accidentally ran over a 'massage therapist' in a game and how he reacted to it saying "OH NO! I'm sorry!" Or the look on Namven's face when he started up the game called "Milk Maid" and was brought to a screen showing a cow's udders. Or even interacting with Aly as a viewer and have us all joking about lube wrestling, something completely random and silly. I even say that my favorite times with my ex-husband were when we were in bed together at night hysterically laughing over something silly or stupid that happened. 

It has me thinking. What makes these times so special? There's something unique about laughter. The chemistry alone involves sending dopamine, endorphins, and even oxytocin to the brain; all things that make us feel good. They say laughter is very good for the body too. But I think there's something more to this special kind of laughter. There's an inherent connection between ourselves and the people we are interacting with that brings us together and sets us apart in that moment, from the rest of the world looking in on us. 

It's the classic "Inside Joke". 

We are on the inside and laughing at ourselves or sharing a moment with each other while the 'outside' just probably wouldn't get it because they weren't there when 'it' happened.

Some say inside jokes are exclusionary by nature and I kind of agree but they also pique curiosity in those that are on the outside. I would even hypothesize that they even reel the outsiders in to the inner group such that they can potentially interact and be part of the next 'inside joke' as insiders. 

Either way, it's quite the realization that these moments in my life are some of the most treasured. I'm quite looking forward to making more of these moments.