There’s nothing like a good laugh to get you feeling happy and encouraged. And if you’re not quite to the level of a laugh, even a big ol’ grin will do. October 4th is World Smile Day. And while we hope you’re smiling every day of the year, we thought we’d take some time out to make you smile in honor of this day particularly. After all, who are we to stand in the way of a holiday of international proportions?
Why smile and laugh?
Of course, there are some pretty obvious reasons to smile and laugh. For one thing, it makes us feel happier. And for another thing, it can give the people around us a lift. If you’ve ever been the recipient of a pleasant hi-how-are-you type of smile from a random stranger, you may already know just how powerful this simple facial expression is.
However, the anecdotal evidence is only one side of the coin. According to NeuroNation, “Each time you smile your brain feels really happy…When a smile flashes across your face, dopamine, endorphins and serotonin are all released into your bloodstream, making not only your body relax but also work to lower your heart rate and blood pressure.”
If smiling can have a great effect on your body, just imagine what a good laugh can do. The Mayo Clinic says laughing can have benefits in both the short term and the long term. They list short term effects including organ activation, stress response activation and relief, and tension soothing. And when it comes to effects in the longer term, they point out immune system improvement, pain relief, personal satisfaction increase, and mood improvement.
Get a good laugh today
With all those potential health benefits as possibilities, of course you should take the chance to smile and laugh today. Which is why we’re offering some entertaining info to get you started.
A mobile home story
When it comes to mobile homes, here’s this story from a Reddit user who we only know by the handle Dramallama77. Aside from the fact that it’s a delightful handle, the user also has a humorous story to tell about a mobile home experience. Here’s what they said:
“A man chased a rat through my uncle’s window which happened to be low enough to the ground for someone to attempt to climb through. The man got stuck inside the window and it took my uncle many pushes to squeeze him out. The rat ran out through a second window and after he got the man out the man ran after it. To this day we do not know why he was after the rat or who he was…”
Think about it
This story has a couple of different levels of humor. First of all, why chase a rat—we know they’re pests, but does a rat really merit that level of attention? Secondly, even if you do have to chase an animal, it’s generally inadvisable to enter your neighbor’s house without permission (and we assume he didn’t stop to ask for permission).
Thirdly, if you do find it unavoidable to chase a rat through your neighbor’s house, we suggest you enter through a doorway. Doors are typically much more conducive to passage by full-sized humans.
Fourthly, (seriously, we’re up to fourthly here?) If you get stuck chasing a rat through your neighbor’s house and your neighbor has to expend great effort to get you out, should you maybe think about calling it a day? After all, it’s just a rat…
Still, we have to commend the effort. Not everybody could rise from the humiliation of being stuck in a neighbor’s window to continue hot pursuit of a dangerous and elusive rodent. There’s something to be said for the mantra, “Never give up”.
More mobile home funnies
Here are some more fun mobile home tidbits.
- One creative artist envisioned what it would look like if the little old lady who lived in a shoe wanted a piece of the manufactured home bargain.
- Some people escape the cold northern winters and enjoy Florida mobile homes for the season (or the entire year). Well, here’s a cartoonist with a humorous twist on the mobile home snowbird idea.
- Naturally, you can see from these examples that there’s more than one way to look at a mobile home. Here’s one more cartoon depicting a dweller’s critical decision about just how he defines his mobile home.
The newest and best in two-story mobile homes
And just in case you need a sort of wry mobile home laugh before we move on, check out this two-story mobile home found via Reddit. Who knew such luxury was possible? It’s too bad this kind of setup might just help give manufactured homes a bad rap. But the raw creativity and fearless (or should we say “reckless”) abandon are worth cracking up over.
It should really be a part of a “caption this” contest, but the best we can do is offer it as today’s chuckle. Still, if you’re seriously interested in two-story homes that are mobile, check out your park model RV options. The lofts they offer could be just what you’re looking for—far and away a better option than the photo above.
Fun home tidbits
Granted, the following stories and interesting bits aren’t about mobile homes. But they are humorous nonetheless. Here’s one homebuying story with a lot of learn-from-the-mistakes-of-others potential.
Herman Chan on The American Genius recounts the story of a couple in the market for a home. Their agent takes them by an open house that blows them out of the water—the home is beautiful and the catering is fantastic.
It seems they enjoyed the experience and the food until they discovered that it was an open house hosted by the new homeowner. And the guests were supposed to be her family and friends. Talk about being in the wrong place at the wrong time! Unfortunate plot twist to be sure.
Please, Mom and Dad, can we keep it?
Squeezing a Slide into the House by Vivian Johnson via Realtor
People have plenty of different priorities when searching for their dream home. And every once in a while, a homebuyer is going to have a pretty particular element they’re searching for. They may or may not get exactly what they want. Kids are included here, too—they may have some dream home preferences themselves. For instance, some young people might be in the market for a home with a slide from the upstairs to the downstairs.
No matter how many homes out there have unique elements on offer, this Granbury, TX home just might take the cake. It’s the perfect place for a family with dinosaur-crazy kiddos. So, if you have a child who can’t get enough of all things dinosaur, you might have just found your forever home.
Okay, in reality, maybe not—it looks like the home already sold. Still, we’d love to know if the new owners got to keep the dinosaur.
Every little girl’s dream
You might think that a dinosaur is as far as you can go to make your children right at home in their new place. Turns out it isn’t. It seems like every little girl dreams of being an equestrian at one point or another. And if that’s where your daughter is right now, why not home shop with that in mind?
How about this Virginia home with vintage flair and true horse-loving spirit? Why keep your animals in a barn when you have a beautiful nearly 2,000 square foot house close at hand?
The sad truth about this place is that your little girl won’t be able to keep her horse in the dining room after all. It looks like the home sold in February. Still, the buyers must not have been too put off by the strange listing photo. They purchased the place for just under $4 million.
Only cat lovers need apply
As we just said, everyone has different tastes. And some people’s tastes are…well…unique to them. Like this cat-lovers home in Arizona.
Beware the cats
For some, cat-themed decor is the height of beauty. But it turns out that a real-live cat could just be the bane of a real estate agent’s existence—at least in Cassie Sonetag’s case. She was simply doing her job as a real estate agent. A job which it seems the homeowners’ cat didn’t like one little bit.
Now, there are plenty of things that could go wrong in the home selling or home buying process. But we’re going to guess that being chased by an angry cat isn’t very close to the top of anyone’s list of potential issues. After this, maybe it should be.
How to smile and laugh more
Truth be told, we probably don’t laugh as often as we could. But with health benefits as possible outcomes, maybe we should make a point to introduce more glee into our everyday lives. Maybe you’re at a loss for how to find more happy and hilarious things to laugh about though. So before you go, we wanted to outline some strategies to introduce more laughing and smiling into your day.
Spend time with people who make you laugh
Laughter and upbeat attitudes can be contagious. So, spending time around people who laugh often might just get you chuckling yourself. Learn from the example of people who are always telling hilarious clean jokes at just the right moment. Analyzing their approach might give you some ideas for introducing more humor into your own conversations.
You may find that they typically tell a joke when they sense the conversation is lagging. Or perhaps they offer a funny remark when it’s related to another person’s comment.
On the other hand, you can even spend time with funny people through other channels—like books. A book with laughable characters could get you guffawing. Or a good joke book could replenish your store of funnies to share.
Learn to tell good stories
Storytelling is an art. And we’re not all equally good at it. But, that’s not to say you can’t learn how to retell a story of your own in a way that’s engaging and delightful for the listener. You might try to plan in your own mind how you’re going to articulate something you’ve experienced. This gives you a chance to think of the most impactful terminology ahead of time. For instance, you can practice this while you’re driving in your car.
Take inspiration from others you know who tell stories that are a whole lot of fun to listen to. Naturally, some people seem to have more interesting stories to relate simply by virtue of their life experiences. But don’t let that stop you. If you think about it, you may find fun ways to relate your own life experiences without turning the event into a droll recitation of boring details.
Finding good books or articles about storytelling may also help. There are even classes on storytelling that you could find useful. And if you know someone who happens to be a genius at retelling their experiences in a spellbinding way, ask them for tips to revolutionize your own storytelling.
Train yourself to see the humor in everyday life
Once you start to look for it, you’ll probably find that you encounter more funny experiences that you initially think. Even everyday mishaps like spilled milk can have an element of humor to them. Keeping your eye out for the hilarious elements of mundane situations could pay off.
One way to find humor is to observe other people’s responses to situations. If you spend much time around children, their responses can be a built-in source of amusement. Kids—and even other adults—may simply see the world differently than you do. Thus, the difference between your interpretation of an event and their interpretation could provide some entertaining contrast.
Find and make your own laughs
We hope we’ve helped you get your laughs for the day. Now, get out there and make someone else smile or laugh! Whether you’re retelling one of these stories or sharing your own, it’s time to spread the cheer with more laughter and smiles. And if you need some seasonal cheer to augment your happiness, try these autumn flavored drink ideas so you can sip while you smile. (Just don’t drink and laugh at the same time—it could be a choking hazard!)
About EZ Homes Design Team
