Pick Me! Pick Me!

It was the last scheduled stop on a hot June day in, of all places, Phoenix.  Traveling across the country with the World Laughter Tour, we were sharing a new concept in this country: therapeutic laughter or laughter for no reason.  The paradox: we were giving a laughter demonstration to children at a daycare center.

Steve Wilson, Dr. Madan Kataria and I stood before 47 wiggly, squirming, giggling kids seated on the floor ranging in ages five to nine. We introduced ourselves, explaining that Steve lived in Ohio, I lived in Missouri, and that Dr. Kataria had traveled all the way from India.

“Who knows where India is?” Steve quizzed. Forty-seven children practically dislocated their arms, waving wildly and shouting, “I know!” “Pick Me!” “Pick Me!” Smiling, he pointed to an enthusiastic little guy sitting cross-legged on the front row and asked, “Okay, son, where’s India?”

The child looked exuberant for a moment, then scrunched up his face, smacked his forehead and moaned, “I… forgot!”

Hands shot back up again.

“Pick me!”

“I know!”

“Pick me!”

“No, pick me!”

I pointed to another little boy nearby and said, “Do you know where India is?”

He smiled from ear to ear and with the confidence of a professional Bingo player shouted, “That’s easy! It’s right here in Phoenix.”

Momentarily taken aback, I responded slowly, “Ummmm, I don’t think so.”

He didn’t miss a beat.  “Well, it used to be!”

Later that evening, I recalled the incident and marveled at how every child had jumped at the opportunity to participate. They didn’t hesitate raising their hands because they might not have the right answer, or because someone might think they were “stupid,” or because they might look a little silly.  They just wanted to have fun, to be part of the experience, and to relish in their own child-like enthusiasm.

Be honest… How’s your enthusiasm?  Are you having fun? Are you missing out on opportunities because you’re afraid others might be judgmental?  Get back in touch with that child-like enthusiasm that we all once had, but seemed to lose along the journey to adulthood.  Try laughing with child-like abandon and experience life from a not-so-grown-up perspective.  I guarantee it will be more fun.