Good For A Laugh

I believe some of the things which draw many people to a life in the entertainment industry, whether it be acting, or performing as a musician, or further down the scale with work in radio or television, are some basic needs - to feel accepted, to fit in, and to please and satisfy others. Moreover, one of the reasons great bands stop playing, to illustrate the point, is because one or more members become no longer inspired to write songs about needing to be loved or how bad things are for them after they've found love. The Beatles are still one of the best examples of that. It's also the reason you won't find very many rich blues musicians. It's very hard to write about or sing the blues if you don't have them.

I thought of these things because of something I feel a great need to do every day - to relate to as many people as possible on a level that makes them laugh. Not necessarily out loud, because I can't hear them anyway. Sometimes, I'm just going for a smile, or a think-about-it-then-smile, or even groan kind of a moment. Whatever it is that I feel the need to put into my work every day, none of it can match the joy I receive when I get this reaction to a funny face (yes, some would argue the 'funny' part is a permanent fixture) or a goofy noise I make, which was the case in this photo. Janne had moved one of the twins' chairs across the floor in such a manner that it made a strange kind of honking noise, so I imitated it.

Many times.

Certainly annoying to adults in the room, but fun for me, because I achieved this end result:

By the way, getting these two to laugh simultaneously while they're being photographed is not an easy feat. They've become so accustomed to the camera now, they just turn their heads toward it and attempt to look posed and composed whenever they see it coming out of its case.
It's the best feeling in the world when I can get this reaction. It's become the only acceptance I need, and the only place I care about fitting in.