By Dave Markwell

With the sky dark and the lights of my town bright, I sit in my black chair with slippers on my feet and a smile. My silly little fireplace blows warm air and I enjoy the softness of the things. Tonight, I went to a comedy show at my little spot by the sea. And, it was great. The comedians were funny and clever and light. It wasn’t heavy or mean humor. It was kind and human and happy. It was a sweet night.

I now listen to Jimmy Buffett radio as my heater does its job. I hear the songs, but I also hear the resonant laughter still singing from a nice night. I hear all the different shades of laughter. Some laughs were deep and some were shrill and some sang a single, long note, while others were more staccato and broken by breaths. They were all lovely. I’ve come to the conclusion that there are really no bad ways to laugh. If it’s sincere, it may be the finest noise we can know. Nothing else can do what a good laugh can do. It reminds us and connects us and releases us. It softens and lightens and tells the truth. It’s a loving sound that makes us love people a little bit more. I may like it most for this reason.

Photo credit: Robin Malmanger

Dave Markwell is a life-long Des Moines liver and lover. Former owner of Waterland CrossFit and the Waterland Arcade, Dave uses his unique story-telling voice to help small businesses tell a better story, and his love for people to help folks live bigger and better lives.

For more info, check out his website: wordsbydave.net