Remember all those giggling times we had as teen-agers? Boy I sure do. Sometimes we would giggle till our tummies hurt. That's OK. Right? Well that's according to where that giggle comes on. In school is not one of the good places, especially when it is supposed to be a serious time. We had JR. And Sr. Plays in high school and I'll never forget our Sr. Play. It was called Ready Made Family and it was so funny. Made even funnier by the antics on stage. I have to say right now that I was directly responsible for at least three of them. I can laugh till my belly aches about it now but let me tell you our Sponsor Miss Brasel sure turned my giggle into a poker face with just a few words. Words, very quietly spoken I might add.  I played a teenager and had a teen aged brother and a little sister. Our 'Mom' had brought a Man for us to meet and told us they were getting married. This 'Man' had two teenagers, a boy and a girl. Well the five of us kids didn't want our parents to get married so we set out to put a stop to their plans. Of course the four teenagers fell into puppy love and our minds changed. That's the gist of the play but our on-stage behavior was funnier than the story was. One time I was supposed to walk across the stage. As I went by the fireplace I accidentally knocked the poker over. Cling Clang Clop. My friend Jimmy looked back and said very calmly. "You knocked the poker down". The look on his face got me tickled. To keep from laughing I said "Would you pick it up?", To which he said, " Pick it up yourself sis." I was spluttering' now trying not to go in to the giggles and I said, "Oh good grief Jimmy", which of course was not his name in the play. The audience all laughed and we went on. But the 'stage' was set from then on. One blunder after another. In one scene I was supposed to bust out in baby talk. Our 'Butler' was supposed to be kneeling by the fireplace and my sudden prattle was supposed to scare him. The line he was supposed to say was my cue for my next line, he spluttered it out and said it wrong and I got tickled. He said the word again to help me say my line but I just got more tickled. He was supposed to jump up and run off the stage but he kept saying that line so I'd say mine. Well I was in a giggle fit and couldn't say my line. I guess he decided I'm getting' outta here, cause he jumped up and proceeded to run off the stage and tripped over my foot and fell face down. I looked down at him and really come unglued. I mean I was giggling hard now. Tears were dropping down my face, I was just unhinged. Then I heard the voice of Miss Brasel behind stage. "Straighten up out there, Now! Well folks that was the same as The look from my Mama. Instant calm took over. I said my line, he ran off stage, limping slightly and that scene was over. The next act opened and we kids had decided we liked each other very much. In fact four of us were smitten. Me and my counterpart and the other two were supposed to be arm in arm walking to the couch to sit down and talk it over. I had my arm draped through Tommy's and I had on a rhinestone bracelet. As we turned to sit my bracelet got caught in his sweater and hung there. I was just going to pull free but Tommy took my wrist and raised it up so he could get his sweater unhinged from my bracelet without tearing his sweater. He said "Stupid girls". Well that didn't go over very well either since in the story we were supposed to be smitten. I almost got the giggles again but the door off stage came open just a smidgen and this time I saw Miss Brasels face and "The Look" stopped my giggle in its tracks. Just screeched to a halt. That was a fun time that is just fixed in my mind like indelible ink. I can remember it so vividly it feels like yesterday. What a great time we had with that play. Miss Brasel laughed right along with us afterward. But we all knew when that sweet Lady meant business too because we all loved her. A look or a word worked. Oh what times we had back then. Just some of the times that have made me what I am. They were simple and innocent times and we can not go back in time. But we can sure keep our memories and cherish those times. Which I do.

Tags: Gigglesteens