The Simple Things
Was down at McDonald’s just a few minutes ago for a tea break. I’m in the middle of a project and the deadline is drawing near (end of business today, if you would believe). The fast food restaurant was relatively empty, save for a guy tapping away on a notebook and a group of secondary schoolers, two guys and two girls, having a good laugh. Call me a voyeur but I was captivated by the fun they were having.
From the looks and sound of it, one would assume they didn’t have a care in the world. They would sit looking at each other for a short moment before breaking out in laughter. Soon, they turned it into a sport, to see who could remain silent the longest. Laughing was allowed but only silently. They tried their very best to make the other laugh out loud, through their body language and facial expressions.
To say their carefree nature was amusing and contagious is an understatement. It didn’t take long for me to start smiling and laughing inwardly along with them. One of them noticed me grinning. We exchanged knowing smiles and a quick thumbs up. They were indirectly sharing their joy and youth with those who bothered to take notice. I thanked them for their generosity.
It brought back fond memories of yesteryear, when life was that simple and it didn’t take as much effort to laugh out loud. When was it that we decided to discard the fun, and put on a serious mask. It was only three days ago that I sat in the same seat with a good friend and we had a serious conversation about work and the ‘important’ things. Things like careers, families, life, the universe, and everything. It paled in contrast.
As I was leaving, there were two well dressed guys, both in shirt and tie, having a serious conversation. They seemed annoyed by the noise the ‘kids’ were making. Again i smiled. They didn’t know what they were missing.
In our pursuit for happiness, sometimes we forget that we’ve always had it. The superficial and material things in life will not make us any happier. It is the simple things that count. As simple as a good laugh with family, friends, and strangers. I pray that we do not lose sight of this. I pray that I don’t lose sight of this.
In case you’re having difficulty laughing, here’s something to get you going. Be patient and wait for it…
May 15th, 2007 at 4:40 pm
The human race has only one really effective weapon and that is laughter…the universal language…
gbyeow: I don’t know… Some would argue that nukes work well too :p