Laughter is contagious, and I can’t think of anything I enjoy more than watching a skillful stand-up comedian do his or her thing on stage. During my daily workout, I usually have the TV tuned into Comedy Central (where I can watch reruns of recent stand-up routines). I believe I was still in high school when I decided to buy a book on how to become a stand-up comedian. Nothing ever came of it, though - save a few successful exhibitions in our state-wide speech competitions. The more stressful my life becomes, the more I need to go the extra mile to smile. Comedy is the quickest way to my heart; it keeps me from going completely bonkers. My favorite e-mail jokes, however, are not the ones that everybody forwards to everybody else. Instead, I much prefer real-life humor. Stories from the trenches, if you will. There’s something to be said about stranger-than-fiction. I’ll laugh at darn near anything, but give me a good ol’ twist of reality to get the greatest guffaw. That’s why I have to thank the geniuses who continue to produce The Daily Show; without Jon Stewart, I wouldn’t know what was going on in the world today. Not that the news (in and of itself) doesn’t keep me interested, but a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down. And yes - laughter is still the best medicine.

I’ve gone to a few comedy clubs in my life, and they’re typically hit-or-miss. I’ve purchased comedy albums before, but audio doesn’t fully capture the moment when the comedian is providing visual cues. “Funny” to you might not be remotely entertaining to someone else. I suppose this explains Pauly Shore? Not even when I’m hard up for a chuckle. Well, maybe Son-in-law - but that’s it. I draw the line at Biodome. Everybody’s a comedian, and I’d much rather deal with a Mr. Happy than a Mr. Angry. Remember that when you leave your house in the morning (unless you’re an agoraphobe). It’s not always easy to keep a grin from furrowing itself into a frown, but if you can find something to laugh at - don’t hold back. Here’s an experiment: the next time you’re in a grocery store, as you walk by other shoppers, smile and nod. Nine times out of ten, they’ll return the gesture. Every tenth person is a jerk, by the way. Chances are, you shared a bit of simple sunshine with those folks, and they’ll probably pass it along to others before too long. When you get to the checkout counter, if you happen to be standing next to a kid or two, why not tell ‘em an innocent joke - or make an unmistakably goofy face. What’s it going to hurt? The funny bone, perhaps. Stand up - and pass the laugh.