{"id":28845,"date":"2016-02-12T12:21:58","date_gmt":"2016-02-12T20:21:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/jasonhall.ca\/?p=28845"},"modified":"2016-02-12T12:21:58","modified_gmt":"2016-02-12T20:21:58","slug":"laughter-how-did-all-that-get-started","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/jasonhall.ca\/music\/laughter-how-did-all-that-get-started\/","title":{"rendered":"Laughter. How did all that get started?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"LaughingHands-sm\"<\/p>\n

There\u2019s\u00a0much\u00a0talk\u00a0about\u00a0the\u00a0theory\u00a0of\u00a0how\u00a0fire\u00a0was\u00a0harnessed,
\nAnd\u00a0of\u00a0the\u00a0wheel,\u00a0of\u00a0who\u00a0got\u00a0killed\u00a0first,\u00a0and\u00a0of\u00a0Caan\u00a0and\u00a0Abel.
\nBut\u00a0what\u00a0about\u00a0laughter?\u00a0How\u00a0did\u00a0all\u00a0that\u00a0get\u00a0started?<\/p>\n

Did\u00a0something\u00a0rise\u00a0up\u00a0out\u00a0of\u00a0the\u00a0depths\u00a0of endless\u00a0time,
\nHaving\u00a0within\u00a0it,\u00a0already\u00a0formed,
\nThe\u00a0seed\u00a0of\u00a0humour?
\nLike\u00a0it\u00a0was\u00a0tickled\u00a0into\u00a0existence.<\/p>\n

From\u00a0what\u00a0pool\u00a0of\u00a0primordial\u00a0mirth\u00a0did\u00a0laughter\u00a0emerge?
\nThe\u00a0eye\u00a0was\u00a0a\u00a0blob\u00a0that\u00a0evolved\u00a0to\u00a0see,\u00a0of\u00a0course,
\nBut\u00a0when\u00a0did\u00a0it\u00a0first\u00a0twinkle\u00a0with\u00a0inner\u00a0merriment?<\/p>\n

Was\u00a0the\u00a0first\u00a0laugh\u00a0a\u00a0howl\u00a0or\u00a0just\u00a0a\u00a0little\u00a0chuckle,\u00a0like\u00a0a\u00a0spark.
\nDid the\u00a0first\u00a0spark emit a giggle\u00a0or\u00a0a\u00a0chortle?
\nThen,\u00a0over\u00a0millennia,\u00a0did\u00a0the\u00a0little\u00a0smirks\u00a0and\u00a0titters\u00a0grow\u00a0and\u00a0spread.
\nUntil they blazed\u00a0into guffaws\u00a0and\u00a0cackles?<\/p>\n

In\u00a0the\u00a0time\u00a0of\u00a0stones,\u00a0what\u00a0foolery\u00a0ridded\u00a0men\u00a0of\u00a0their\u00a0ancient\u00a0hours?
\nLong\u00a0before\u00a0the\u00a0first\u00a0civilization\u00a0arose\u00a0and\u00a0fell,
\nWhat\u00a0little\u00a0tribe\u00a0of\u00a0wanderers collapsed
\nInto gales\u00a0of\u00a0laughter?
\nBefore\u00a0there\u00a0was\u00a0slave\u00a0and\u00a0master,
\nWhat\u00a0hilarity\u00a0first\u00a0captured\u00a0the\u00a0people?
\nUntil\u00a0tears\u00a0streamed\u00a0down\u00a0their\u00a0rough-hewed\u00a0cheeks
\n(now\u00a0chiseled\u00a0also\u00a0with\u00a0laugh\u00a0lines).<\/p>\n

Who\u00a0first\u00a0slapped\u00a0a\u00a0knee?
\nWho\u00a0was\u00a0the\u00a0first\u00a0joker?
\nThe\u00a0first\u00a0clown?
\nThe\u00a0first\u00a0wise\u00a0guy?
\nWho\u00a0first\u00a0discovered\u00a0the\u00a0punchline?
\nWho\u00a0first\u00a0laughed\u00a0at\u00a0a\u00a0fart\u00a0or\u00a0a\u00a0funeral?
\nWho\u2019s\u00a0belly\u00a0first\u00a0ached\u00a0from\u00a0laughing?<\/p>\n

And\u00a0when\u00a0were\u00a0we\u00a0first\u00a0given\u00a0over\u00a0entirely\u00a0to\u00a0this\u00a0great\u00a0mirth?
\nLike\u00a0we\u00a0were\u00a0tickled\u00a0into\u00a0existence.<\/p>\n

Sigh.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

There\u2019s\u00a0much\u00a0talk\u00a0about\u00a0the\u00a0theory\u00a0of\u00a0how\u00a0fire\u00a0was\u00a0harnessed, And\u00a0of\u00a0the\u00a0wheel,\u00a0of\u00a0who\u00a0got\u00a0killed\u00a0first,\u00a0and\u00a0of\u00a0Caan\u00a0and\u00a0Abel. But\u00a0what\u00a0about\u00a0laughter?\u00a0How\u00a0did\u00a0all\u00a0that\u00a0get\u00a0started? Did\u00a0something\u00a0rise\u00a0up\u00a0out\u00a0of\u00a0the\u00a0depths\u00a0of endless\u00a0time, Having\u00a0within\u00a0it,\u00a0already\u00a0formed, The\u00a0seed\u00a0of\u00a0humour? Like\u00a0it\u00a0was\u00a0tickled\u00a0into\u00a0existence. From\u00a0what\u00a0pool\u00a0of\u00a0primordial\u00a0mirth\u00a0did\u00a0laughter\u00a0emerge? The\u00a0eye\u00a0was\u00a0a\u00a0blob\u00a0that\u00a0evolved\u00a0to\u00a0see,\u00a0of\u00a0course, But\u00a0when\u00a0did\u00a0it\u00a0first\u00a0twinkle\u00a0with\u00a0inner\u00a0merriment? Was\u00a0the\u00a0first\u00a0laugh\u00a0a\u00a0howl\u00a0or\u00a0just\u00a0a\u00a0little\u00a0chuckle,\u00a0like\u00a0a\u00a0spark. Did the\u00a0first\u00a0spark emit a giggle\u00a0or\u00a0a\u00a0chortle? Then,\u00a0over\u00a0millennia,\u00a0did\u00a0the\u00a0little\u00a0smirks\u00a0and\u00a0titters\u00a0grow\u00a0and\u00a0spread. Until they blazed\u00a0into guffaws\u00a0and\u00a0cackles? In\u00a0the\u00a0time\u00a0of\u00a0stones,\u00a0what\u00a0foolery\u00a0ridded\u00a0men\u00a0of\u00a0their\u00a0ancient\u00a0hours? Long\u00a0before\u00a0the\u00a0first\u00a0civilization\u00a0arose\u00a0and\u00a0fell, What\u00a0little\u00a0tribe\u00a0of\u00a0wanderers collapsed Into gales\u00a0of\u00a0laughter? Before\u00a0there\u00a0was\u00a0slave\u00a0and\u00a0master, What\u00a0hilarity\u00a0first\u00a0captured\u00a0the\u00a0people? Until\u00a0tears\u00a0streamed\u00a0down\u00a0their\u00a0rough-hewed\u00a0cheeks (now\u00a0chiseled\u00a0also\u00a0with\u00a0laugh\u00a0lines). Who\u00a0first\u00a0slapped\u00a0a\u00a0knee? Who\u00a0was\u00a0the\u00a0first\u00a0joker? The\u00a0first\u00a0clown? The\u00a0first\u00a0wise\u00a0guy? Who\u00a0first\u00a0discovered\u00a0the\u00a0punchline? Who\u00a0first\u00a0laughed\u00a0at\u00a0a\u00a0fart\u00a0or\u00a0a\u00a0funeral? Who\u2019s\u00a0belly\u00a0first\u00a0ached\u00a0from\u00a0laughing? And\u00a0when\u00a0were\u00a0we\u00a0first\u00a0given\u00a0over\u00a0entirely\u00a0to\u00a0this\u00a0great\u00a0mirth? Like\u00a0we\u00a0were\u00a0tickled\u00a0into\u00a0existence. Sigh.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[38,101,102],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/jasonhall.ca\/music\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28845"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/jasonhall.ca\/music\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/jasonhall.ca\/music\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/jasonhall.ca\/music\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/jasonhall.ca\/music\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=28845"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/jasonhall.ca\/music\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28845\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/jasonhall.ca\/music\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=28845"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/jasonhall.ca\/music\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=28845"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/jasonhall.ca\/music\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=28845"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}