True Confessions: I Laughed Loudly

Blake Weir as Jack Chesney, Kevin Dean as Lord Fancourt Babberly, and Marty Blair 

as Charley Wykeham Photo by Bara Photography, used by CC licence. 

Ladies’ Night Out

My church family is filled with women from all walks of life. I love that. I love even more that we got to spend time together this weekend.

About 30 women loaded into large vans to do one thing: spend time together and get to know one another better.

Crazy, right?

There was once a time in my life when I could not imagine deliberately hanging out with women. I considered this torture. It is amazing how much God can change things!

After a wonderful meal prepared by a few women in one of the ladies’ home, we loaded back into the vans, and headed into the city to see the AD Players’ perform “Charley’s Aunt”.

Now if you know me or have read “Turn Down that Noise” then you know how loud I can be. I have been shushed many times in my life, and some of those times have been over my laugh.

I vowed to try and tone it down while on this outing. I did not want to seem obnoxious. I do not laugh loudly to gain attention, it is simply my laugh.

The AD Players, specifically the cast of Charley’s Aunt, had something else in mind. The characters were wonderfully brought to life by the cast, and my favorite characters are pictured above. Of course the women of this play were delightful as well and you can see for yourself if you live in the Houston, Texas, area.

This delightful comedy is an old fashion mix of romance and buffoonery and I loved every minute of it. I laughed.

Loudly.

Many times.

I am not exaggerating in the least. At the conclusion of this wonderful play, the cast took their bow and thanked the audience. Then they took a moment to thank the woman stage right who especially liked the play (ME!) and promised that I was not a plant, though perhaps they should consider hiring me to come to more plays! Almost every woman I was with that night laughed at that.

To my delight, Blake Weir, who played Jack Chesney, came to the foyer of the theater to meet the woman who nearly made him and other cast members break character! I gushed.

The one thing this delightful experience taught me is to be myself. I thought I had learned that lesson already, but I guess I had not.

Why am I telling you this?

I am sharing this story because first the AD Players deserve the shout out for a job well done, but foremost I am telling you this because I know I am not alone.

I know I am not the only one that has tried to change who they are to try and fit in. I know I am not the only one who finds one of their personality traits annoying or embarrassing. If I can embrace my raucous laugh, you can learn to embrace your personality too! Be who God made you to be, love Him with all your heart, your soul and your might, and rest in the fact that you were designed uniquely for a reason.

If you laugh loudly, laugh joyfully. Be you.

Question: In what way have you tried to fit in before? Leave your comment below.


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