Are Oregon, USA and Switzerland First Cousins?

Trying to think of places where I have heard the least spontaneous laughter. I think these two locations win the prize. I am not being critical, mind you, just making a very personal observation. And, obviously, there are many, many, places that I have never visited.

I think it is a spiritual issue. In most towns in Massachusetts, for instance, the banter and gab in line at Dunkin Doughnuts is irresistible. Everyone gets swept up in it. Nothing is sacred, nothing is off limits. The immigrant nationalities all have each other's number. In Oregon, man, coffee is serious stuff, as is everything one ingests or purchases and subjects like what brand of socks to buy your toddler can keep people intense all night. Don't even mention sports. Or politics or religion or health or relationships or did I mention socks?

I am not saying that these subjects aren't passionately important to East Coasters, and maybe they are seriously sacred (The Red Sox, for instance.) but there is a lot of self-deprecating humor even about sacred things. And deprecating about non-self also.

I was at a comedy film in Ashland, Oregon once and was "shushed" when I laughed. That's really bad. It was some British comedy and it was really funny and I was painfully out of place when I laughed. Comedy apparently is not supposed to be funny. Not in Oregon.

I have worried that I just don't get the funny here. But I would have caught on by now by taking cues from others. Life is serious business and My Life is very serious, indeed.

Thinking about Switzerland, I did hear noises there that resemble laughter. One farmer saying to another "Your cows look good." "Ya, ya. ha, ha." I don't think the "Ha,ha" counts as laughter. It was more like a continuation of the "Ya, ya". Same when someone complemented a neighbor or her clean stoop. "Ha, ha." doesn't count for me.

So this business of sacred and non-sacred. My personal impulse is that sacred stuff is a bit bigger than our little egos. Therefore, it is fair game. But when the little me is the sacred thing, then almost anything can affront it, so we all must tread carefully. i fear I am clutching at straws here. I am, actually. But then I think of some bridges in Switzerland decorated with many depictions of 'Death". Maybe it was to ward off the Plague, but it is sobering in any case, It makes me wonder.

So, my conclusion is that some new guru must start doing laughter workshops. Laughter is good for us. It is the out breath at its best. Life is serious, but it is fully of humor, especially irony. Mine anyway. Actually, almost anything is funny. Toes, for example. Pretty weird. Politics. Religion. Animals. Human resemblance to certain animals. Don't get me going.