Laughter is a healing force, and when we laugh completely from the gut in a time we might otherwise feel miserable, we know how real this experience is. It’s famously said that laughter is the best medicine and regardless of whether it truly cures disease it certainly gives us temporary joy and lifts our spirits. From this idea I thought it would be a wonderful expression of how beautiful and humor-filled life might be to perform the following experiment.

With a microphone and recording device in hand hit the streets as a recorder of everyday life and capture street interviews with people you meet. Invite each person you encounter to share and record two things: the funniest joke they have ever heard and the most hilarious thing that has ever happened to them. Record your friendly strangers sharing their funny moments and bring out people’s best storytelling and sense of humor. Take this adventure as far you wish but eventually bring your material back to the editing room and put together your best audio tape or mash up of your recordings. Create tapes of different varieties and build a small collection. When a person you know is struggling or in ill health send them your favorite tape with a letter wishing them well. Let the humor of your encounters and the content of the tapes spread joy and laughter to a person in their quest for recovery. Your friend, if they really appreciate what you have done, might return the favor.