My wife once found herself having to hold back floods of laughter at a funeral. Because, of course, it is considered culturally inappropriate and insensitive to do such a thing.

But is it really? Laughter is said by psychologists to be a primal and helpful solution for dealing with fear. It helps us gain that wee bit of mental equilibrium when things are getting to be just a bit too much. It enables us to stay the right side of sane.

Perhaps, when everything is falling apart, when it’s all getting to be a little bit too serious, there should be moments when, instead of the politicians, the fixers, the priests and the counsellors, we send in the clowns.

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