What's Life If You Can't Laugh Out Loud?

This weekend I had the AWESOME privilege to have a local from the Las Vegas area to show me around her hometown. Melany Martin and her family graciously let me stay at their crib, eat their food, sleep on their futon in the sewing room, become the new favorite auntie (Auntie JJ), and take their daughter/sister out of the house and out on the town. Mel was a next door neighbor/roommate from BYU, where we met and became good friends. She showed me the strip, hotels and their attractions, the fountains at the Belagio (my favorite of all), the local favorites including Yogurtland, and lots of fun stuff like such.
However, I don't want to give you a travel log of the trip, but I want to tell you of something poignant I said that I thought was pretty good words of wisdom. Don't get me wrong, I would love to tell you how we got lost several times on the strip, when I got a picture with Elvis and Ironman at the same time, how we got hit on by two, most likely, drunk cowboys outside of the PBR bar, played in Gameworks and rocked DDR, got asked to an open bar (because we were the only two on the sidewalk), when I dropped a sticky melted giant marshmellow on myself, watched Alyson fit three, yes 3, campfire size marshmellows into her mouth, got splattered on by banana puree during the Blue Man Group concert in the Venetian, had one of the members of the Blue Man Group kiss my ticket, bought MC Hammer pants, and so much more, but I'll save those stories for another time.
The first night we were on the strip, we were walking around, standing on a corner, waiting to cross the street when Mel made me laugh out loud, and if you know me well, you know that my laugh isn't one to be well hidden. Mel then told me that I was being loud and was slightly embarassing us as the people around us looked at me like I had a little too much to drink. (nope, just hot chocolate and happy endorphins!). Then I said, "What's life if you can't laugh out loud?!" Wow, did those words just come out of my mouth?! I like it!
Personally my life would be rather quiet and boring. But really, what is life if we can't laugh out loud at ourselves? When we won't laugh out loud at something that just catches our funny? If we don't laugh out loud when we remember something awesomely hysterical that happened to us in our past and we just remembered during a class lecture? Ok so maybe there are times when we shouldn't literally laugh out loud, but you can still do it in your head and show a little smirk as you try not to let others see and think that maybe you are mischievously plotting to run around campus in a gorilla suit chasing another person in a banana suit, oh wait, that's definitely not something that I've done...
Joseph Smith said "Happiness is the object and design of our existence..." One way that makes me happy is to laugh. To laugh in joy and happiness. It makes me happy, so I will laugh. Don't get so caught up in the world and its downward spiral with all its negativeness, seriousness, wickedness, etc. that we forget to realize all those things we've been blessed with, all the awesome friends and acquaintances we've had the opportunity to get to know, all the great moments and memories we've created in our own lives and together, and all the times we've been so happy, that we've laughed out loud! Be serious and reverent when the time arises, but also remember to be happy, lighten up a little, and laugh out loud!

Have you laughed out loud today?

SHAZZAM.