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I Believe in the Power of Laughter media type="file" key="Carrie TIB.mp3" align="right" By: Carrie Gallaher  I am currently attending the University of Colorado at Boulder. I am an undergraduate student majoring in psychology and dance. The first time I walked into the Chinook Clubhouse, it smelled musty and unkempt. Summer had just begun, and I decided that I was going to volunteer there. Located in an old, black and white fraternity house it provided a home and opportunities for the mentally ill. The first person I met was a tall, schizophrenic lady with long frizzy, gray hair and overalls by the name of Lisa. Lisa, who was the volunteer coordinator of the Chinook Club, gave me a tour of the house. It had a huge kitchen with every kind of kitchen utensil imaginable, a computer room, with a fish tank and television, a dining area, and a coffee station. The house seemed somewhat chaotic; people of every shape, size and demeanor were sprawled about all areas of the house. Lisa told me to go around and introduce myself to all of the members. The first person I talked to was Tom. He was a 60 year old, very tall, very intimidating man with a huge beer belly that stuck out of his pants, a Santa Claus beard, and long gray hair. After I introduced myself, Tom, smiling the entire time, told me he had an IQ of 250 and knew Abraham Lincoln. I giggled, realizing that he was being serious and he laughed right along with me. This is where I learned to believe in the power of laughter. Laughter makes every situation better, even the most awkward of situations. I met people from all walks of life, with every type of mental disorder: bipolar disease, schizophrenia, obsessive-compulsive disorder, multiple personalities, psychosis, and depression. These individuals that I was privileged to spend time with taught me how to just laugh; how to laugh at the awkward, how to laugh at the absurd, and how to find joy in every situation. Instead of becoming stand offish in uncomfortable situations, I learned to lighten up. So, when a sweet lady with OCD cries at the sight of mold, comfort her, and later, laugh at the stupidity of the situation. When a woman with multiple personality disorder takes off her pants in the middle of lunch, laugh at the uncomfortable situation. When a game of “Clue” takes three hours to complete because people are taking twenty minutes to decide who they think the murderer is, laugh. L aughter has a healing power, an ability to relieve stress, and a way of making uncomfortable situations better. It is infectious and spreads joy to those around you. Gordon Allport, a famous personality psychologist, once said, “So many tangles in life are ultimately hopeless that we have no appropriate sword other than laughter.” I believe in the power of laughter, good-hearted, wholesome laughter. People are too serious these days. So the next time an old schizophrenic man tells you he has an IQ of 250 and knows Abraham Lincoln, guffaw, snicker, or giggle.