Laugh a Little

So today, W's oldest, Cookie (hereby so named because she wants to be a chef, and also is a cute little cookie), did the cutest thing. She was playing with bright orange "space goo" (remember gak?) from the space needle gift shop. She had it spread out into a very thin sheet, about as thin as bubble gum when you blow a bubble. She was holding it up and Baby Girl swung out her hand and "popped" it right onto the top of Cookie's head. It was spread out in a thin coat all over her hair, and she had to work at it to get it out. I haven't seen W laugh so hard in a long time. Cookie was not amused. She does not like to be laughed at. She would not have liked being in my family. She wouldn't even let me take a picture!

What ensued was a discussion about being able to laugh at yourself. W and I discussed the merits of being able to laugh at yourself when you are in what might seem at the time to be an embarrassing situation. Cookie was not convinced, but it got me thinking.

I have laughed at myself in the following situations:
1. When I fell down the steps in the business building in college in front dozens of people.
2. When I gave myself a black eye.
3. When I slipped on the rain-soaked steps at the football stadium in high school in my drill skirt and most likely gave everyone a really good view of what we wore under our drill skirts.

I'm seeing a theme developing here....

Is the ability to laugh at yourself a very important skill? If you laugh too often and too quickly, does that indicate that you don't take yourself seriously enough, or does it indicate that you know enough not to be so serious all the time? I personally think laughing at yourself is good. People should do it more often. Try it right now. I want to hear your best belly laugh. It could make you feel better. It could also make the other people in the room think you're crazy. So it's a two for one.