I Don’t Laugh Like a Lady; Got A Problem?

My elders still believe a ‘lady’s laugh’ should sound like a chuckle. Thanks, but I’m going to continue laughing my loud and contagious way. 

I laugh so loud, I successfully divert the attention of a few ears from the joke to my laugh.
I laugh so loud, my family often questions if it qualifies as a laugh, maybe a blare enough.
For the non-evaluators, my laugh often comes off as rather contagious,
But for the voiceful judgementals, the sound of my laugh draughts out for them everything from my character, to my religiosity and ladylike mannerisms.

My father laughs loudly too, but he’s a man, so somehow, his loud laughter story maps out differently.
But mine has always drawn the attention of raised eyebrows many,
I guess I’ll blame adolescence, for it was then that my laughter stopped becoming cute, wholehearted, when laughter didn’t demand shame,
My body then took the shape of a woman, my laugh remained the same.

After being spotted and mini-lectured for times hundred and a half,
I did sit down to derive a solution over the loudness of my laugh,
Inevitably forgetful of the single-most factor that mattered in the equation of laughter,
Forgetful that loudness is never a factor in this equation, happiness, solely  does matter.

My elders are bi-products of a rather conservative conditioning,
And so maybe a laugh should look like a chuckle for women in their opinion,
But those mini seconds is when all my tiny, endless, silent quarrels fade away,
So I’ll continue not laughing like a lady, even though that phrase makes sense none.

Image via Unsplash

Liked this post?

Join the 100000 women at Women's Web who get our weekly mailer and never miss out on our events, contests & best reads - you can also start sharing your own ideas and experiences with thousands of other women here!

Never miss real stories from India's women.

Register Now

Comments