Platypus

So, what does the game 'Nouns' have to do with laughing (see previous post for desciption of game).  I wil try to explain.

It was the very last round of several games.  My 7 year old son had not been playing with us, he was watching a movie in the next room.  He came out toward the end of the final round.  There was only one word left in the bowl after the minute was up.  Everyone knew the word, it was 'platypus'.  

My 7 year old asked if he could have a turn.  We were all kind of tired and since everyone knew the final word, we decided to let him give it a try.   We passed him the  bowl.  I assumed that he would try to read the word and ask what it meant or hesitate and stare blankly.  He grabbed the final note with everyone looking at him.  He glanced at the word and immediately stuck out both his hands in front of him like you may do to imitate a panthing dog and made a sound like a choking duck.  It was that sound that comes from the back of the throat and seems to involve lots of phlegm .  I know it is hard to understand, but most everyone in the place busted out laughing. 

I also busted out laughing, so much so that it was actually painful.  I struggled to let out the laugh, I was making strange sounds and then gasping in a silent laugh.  I have not laughed so hard in a very long time.  I actually could not fully express the laughter.  Laugther was caught up inside me and I could not have a true laugh out loud belly laugh.  Laugh is a strange word, it seems to be misspelled.  It was wonderful to laugh so hard, but I was struck by the fact that it seemed very foreign and was not fully realized.

Why could I not laugh hard?  Why has it been so long? 

On the car ride home, my daughter said, 'My friends and I laugh like that everyday at school'.  I believe her.  I think I used to laugh like that everyday with my friends also.  Why did I learn to stuff the laughter in a deep part of my soul?  When did fear replace laughter?