Laughter In the Darkest Moments

If These Heels Could Talk they would say, "laughter can be found even in the darkest moments."

Everyone has their own coping mechanism. Some use alcohol, some use drugs, some use food, some use sex, and some use gambling.  Most of the time the coping mechanism is used to get the person through a moment that is painful. It helps them to forget what is either happening or has happened. 

My coping mechanism is laughter. My coping mechanism is the ability to take tragic moments that either I was subjected to or chose on my own and poke fun at them.  Most of the time when I am telling my story to someone I don't realize that this is what I am doing.  I just know that usually the other person is in some kind of shock from either the story itself or the fact that I am laughing about the story. 

I believe that we all have our poor pitiful why me moments.  My mom hates when I tell stories sometimes and then I follow that story up with, "and that is a damn therapy session and that is going to cost someone."   

I have had those poor pitiful why me moments.  I will not lie.  When you are growing up and some of your "friends" own nothing but name brand clothing and are getting brand new cars at the age of 16, you wonder why not me? Why can't I have that? Why can't I have the in ground pool and enclosed garage.  Why can't I have central heat and air? Why can't I have a telephone at the house? Why can't I have running water?

I really don't remember if I was ever angry about the way I was feeling.  Maybe it was because my mother always instilled into my brothers and I that all of that really didn't matter and that a friend was a friend no matter what.

We were NOT white trash we just didn't have the means that others had and now some 25 years later I understand why I was chosen to experience the things that I did.  My experiences although tragic to some, bring humor to others. 

In one of the hardest times of a friend's life I was able to bring laughter to her life.  That laughter came from my experience, my childhood and it was a true story.  And just so you know I laughed until my stomach hurt.

My dad was able to scout out this fine jewel of dwelling at the tune of $125.00 a month.  I remember this place I called home for four years.  I had my own room for the first time at the age of 14.  My room actually had it's own door to the outside world.  My brothers still shared a room and my parents of course had their own room.  There was one bathroom that was right off from the kitchen (really is that necessary, put it somewhere else people) 

The electricity of this dwelling was something to be desired. One memory that stands out the most is that at Christmas time when we would turn the Christmas tree lights on EVERY light in the house would dim.  And that Christmas tree lit up like the fourth of July.  And when we turned them off all the other lights started to light the house normal. 

My mom always liked to decorate and still does for the holidays. And like any Southern household there were lights that adorned the outside of this dwelling during the holidays.  On one or two occasions a couple of people stopped to see if we were selling catfish plates. Hmmmm o.k.... we are not a catfish house.

After further research it was discovered that this dwelling that I called home for four years was actually an old convenience store.  Wow, what a shocker!!!

My mom and I painted it one summer a nice turquoise blue. But since it was just her and I laboring over this task with a paint brush we opted out of painting the back of it so we just painted three sides and left the back to remain barnyard red. 

I told my friend about this home and we laughed and laughed.  I do not poke fun at what my parents best efforts to raise three children were.  I KNOW THEY DID THE BEST THEY COULD WITH WHAT THEY HAD.  I poke fun at the experience.  I poke fun at the fact that I am blessed to not have to live that way today. I poke fun at how crazy we must have looked to others.  I poke fun at the electrical wiring and how crazy that was. 

I am blessed to have lived the way I lived and I now know that what may be tragic to some can most definitely bring laughter to others.