Life in the Laugh Lane: Steering Through Life with Laughter

Bobbe White
White House Press (2006)
ISBN 1423301300
Reviewed by Tammy Petty Conrad for Reader Views (8/06)

Bobbe White doesn’t take any chances with her readers. From the moment you see the cover you know you are in for a laugh or two. Her premise is simple. Sometimes we take life too seriously and if we just laugh, even at ourselves, we would be happier and healthier.  She carries the driving theme throughout “Life in the Laugh Lane”, not missing an opportunity, including having Upcoming Exits in her Table of Contents. It is the kind of book you can read straight through in a single sitting or jump around perusing chapters with inviting titles, like “Missed My Exit to Life in the Fashion Lane” or “Asleep at the Wheel:  Disconnect your Cruise Control”.
The book is full of funny quotes and occurrences in Bobbe’s life, but she always brings it back to how we can learn from her experience and use it in our own lives. “We’re like bumper cars, just aimlessly colliding with the days of the week, here and there. Life could be so much more enjoyable if we just turned off our cruise control and put life on manual drive; or rather played attention.” That’s not a typo; yes she said “played” attention. Bobbe thinks we need to have fun at work and at home.

Humor is all around us and the author encourages her readers to purposely look for it, even record it in a laughter journal. “Humor and laughter add perspective, balance, creativity, and enjoyment to life. It’s like gas in the tank….” She goes on to remind us that we choose how we react to things. Laughter is always a better choice than anger or rage. Probably my favorite quote is about throwing a hissy fit.  It “…is like putting oatmeal in your gas tank. It’s going to be real hard on the engine!”

Although she does have some funny stories, I read the book thinking I’ve heard this before and wondering if people really need to be reminded to loosen up. But my kids would say “Yes Mom, you do!” I am happy to report we had a laughter moment at the dinner table that probably wouldn’t have happened prior to me reading “Life in the Laugh Lane”. My nine year old dropped a grape and I picked it up, initially wanting to chastise him for being messy. But then I decided to have a contest to see who could make a hole in one by tossing it from the table to the sink. Okay, maybe it wasn’t the best parental behavior, but it was only a grape and we each got a single shot! And my kids got to see that I can let go of my craziness once in a while and laugh at life too.

Bobbe may be a funny person, but she also comes with certified credentials. Not busy enough as an author and speaker on the hot topic of humor in the work place, she is also a Certified Laughter Leader. I’m not sure what’s required for this, but I would imagine cream pies are involved and maybe big floppy shoes! She is also the founder and president of Try Laughter! Inc., a speaking and training group. 

If you’re someone who works with others, you might want to keep several copies of this book on your shelf for emergencies. Anytime someone is stressing out or on the verge of a mental flat tire, hand them a copy and let them take a coffee break to read a chapter. He or she is sure to come back to their desk with an improved attitude. I’ve heard that people with health problems recover more quickly when they watch funny movies during their recuperation. Maybe candy strippers should pass this book out to hospital patients. I can’t imagine anyone who wouldn’t benefit from a few minutes reading a book that reminds us that laughter really is the best medicine for most ills in life.

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