Monday, April 04, 2011

C is for ~~Church Giggles

                                                 

Source
  Remember when Mary Tyler Moore's Character got the "Church Giggles" at  Chuckles  the Clown's Funeral?





Church giggles can really happen anywhere, but they almost always happen at times when you are in a serious situation; usually in a place where the atmosphere is quiet.  Something funny happens and you are in giggles hell!  Picture this...I am a teen (about 150 years ago it seems).  I am in church with my Dad right beside me. We were in the very last row. The family in front of us consisted of two very close-in-age boys with buzz cuts~ and these boys  were sitting on either side of their Mom who was holding their baby sister. Way at the end of the pew sat their Dad.

OK, set-up done.

These two boys who seemed to be about seven and eight years of age were up to no good. They fidgeted something fierce and they just seemed very uncomfortable in their Sunday best. Every time the congregation had to stand these two guys took the opportunity to whack and push each other behind their Mother's back.

    First, the Mom glared.                                                                

              Then she quietly told them to knock it off

                                     She shushed
                        
                They continued their shenanigans (I love that word)


The Mom had had enough. She handed the baby over to her Husband and when the boys acted up again...she lifted her hands, curled both index fingers,  flicked both her boys on their heads and gave them noogies.. It sounded like she was thumping melons. The boys simultaneously rubbed their heads;  and the Priest's sermon became back ground noise as my Dad bowed his head trying to suppress the cackling laughter he wanted to free. I was the same. The Mom turned around and (as soon as she saw my Dad in suppressed hysterics) began to laugh as well.
 

We spent the rest of the service red-faced and completely avoiding each other's eyes...for fear of starting the marathon church giggles again. Now I have had several instances of Church giggles since then...a  Reverend with a very heavy accent pronouncing "sheep" so that it sounded like the word "Sh*#".  A baby Farting loudly during silent prayers. A substitute choir singer who was tone deaf, and my own constant stomach growl that sounded like a dying animal.  All these have caused me to kneel and bury my face in my hands. But like I always say...life, live it and you know what? life is funny...and sometimes you just gotta laugh....even in Church.



12 comments:

  1. Are we the only creatures among God's creation who laugh? God made us that way because I think he loves joyful laughter. This is so funny, I can just picture it now! I LOVE it when the stray toddler gets lose and runs doen the aisle. And also watching the parents trying to shush and correct the little ones, it's really a show in itself!

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  2. Funny stories Joanne:) I don't normally get the church giggles...I kind of wish I did giggle more.

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  3. That is funny and life is funny sometimes.

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  4. I had that happen to me once at a church conference. Only 5,000 people in attendance. I was laughing so hard they probably thought I was drunk in the Spirit, lol...

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  5. I LOVE MTM!!!
    She is my hero :)
    And I do rememebr that eppisode.

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  6. I remember that episode where Mary had the giggles at the funeral. Hilarious.
    Funny post.

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  7. Been there, done that. I always seem to get the giggles at the wrong time.

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  8. I remember clear as day when I was a little girl my sister and I got the church giggles because the painting above the minister was of naked angels. They were nekkid - hahaha. I remember my dad appologizing to everyone on the way out.

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  9. I loved that episode :).

    Oh goodness I flick and thump my boys know that well! You should have seen the look I got in the grocery store when I gave Cole a flick in the ear when he got a sassy mouth. I gave her the hairy eyeball back and told her to mind her business .. :)

    Laugh away, God would have laughed with ya :)

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  10. Hysterically funny post~!!....I'm sure that the smiles and rippling laughter was a Godsend for you as it is...lol...I have flicked my two boys' ears...it works~! ((course that was eons ago))
    Love the "C"...on to D...((running behind))

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  11. @ Ginny~ I like that too!

    @ Becca~ Thanks

    @ Ma~ sometimes they are just the thing to liven up a situation though it is never planned of course

    @ Barb~ Yes it is!

    @ Deborah Ann~ I would have been laughing right along with you...it's contagious

    @ Trish is a Dish~ I always had a good laugh with that show

    @ Beth~ that one is one of my favorite episodes

    @ Retired English Teacher~ You sound like a lot of fun!

    @ Deirdra Eden-Coppel~ Thank you so much for the award! I "displayed" it right away! It's so pretty.

    @ ihaveabackbone~ Theres nothing cuter than little girls giggles!

    @ Alexis AKA MOM~ "the hairy Eyeball" is such a great phrase...I gotta use that one more often...its perfect!

    @ Margaret Hall~ I wonder if it would work on bosses or snotty cashiers?...probably not LOL

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