I first heard about Columbine, more or less as it was happening, through one of my co-workers, who said “Some students took over a high school”. Which I envisioned as students barricading themselves in the principal’s office and making demands of some sort, certainly nothing involving guns. So my reaction was “Oh, cool!”
I sure as hell hope no one remembers that about me…
In the fourth grade, I had a teacher who had some kind of phobia about bees. One day a hornet flew into the classroom through the window. Now, you’d think she’d say “Eek!” and leave the room or something.
Instead, her eyes bugged out, like the Muppet Beaker’s, and she stood there flapping her arms like a big, spasmic bird yelling “eeWHAAP! eeWHAAP! eeWHAAP!”
It kinda freaked us out. (No she wasn’t stung.)
That’s really tough Chimera. I’m not sure what your current situation is but I sincerely hope it’s a better one for you and she alike.
NurseCarmen, your story made me laugh out loud (which they often do) as I could just see myself in your shoes. You sadistic, funny bastard.
Everyone else either had me chuckling loudly or wondering just what in the heck this unusual response of laughter to stress is called. Psychologists must have a name for this one.
Interesting stories all!
On 9/11, when the building I was in was shaking and the lights were going out, I started laughing hysterically. At the time, I didn’t understand why I was laughing, but this would be an adequate explanation.
A colleague was working on a show and I had to be in the lighting booth a few times. The show was a “zany comedy” but in the last 10 minutes it suddenly went tragic and very, very dark with the onstage murder of the goofy lead. It is a supremely uncomfortable scene to watch and radically different than the rest of the show. (It was particularly shocking if you were too dim to catch on the the dark undertone throughout).
It was always fascinating to watch the audience reaction. A good many people couldn’t seem to reconcile themselves with what they were seeing so you’d hear these weird hyena laughs cackling out in an otherwise dead silent, dark room. The weirdness of the laughter always gave me goosebumps because it was so very clearly NOT a “humour laugh” but a “horrified laugh.”
Brrrr! Makes me shudder just thinking about it. Creeped me out more than the show.
I read somewhere that laughter reduces the production of hormones associated with stress. Dunno if it’s true, but that might explain it a bit if it is.