Most human activities beyond the pursuits of survival have an edge of ridiculousness about them.
Take the pursuit of tap dance. That is the hitting of a floor with one’s feet to make noise or music, depending on the dancer. Taken out of the context of the cultural arts, the oral tradition, or the beauty of human expression, the activity itself may seem quite ridiculous.
Now think of someone pursuing this with the air of a most serious pursuit. How can one be so serious about something that is actually quite funny?
Jimmy Slyde (a tap dancer himself) used to say, “You have to be able to laugh at yourself…because you’re funny!”
Regardless of what we deem to be most important, or what we take seriously, we should remember to take a moment to laugh. Sometimes it’s the most important thing we can do.