It's always the one who laughs

I have a college degree.  Which would lead some to assume that I have been to college.  And perhaps that I learned something at said college.  One of the most important things I learned had absolutely nothing to do with biology or geology or communication or English literature or even teaching.

Oh no.  It had to do with the Law of the Laugh.

The streets of my hallowed institution were notoriously icy.  Sidewalks were skating rinks.  One walked like a penguin if one wanted to cross a particularly nasty corner by Stevens Auditorium.

When you have an auditorium that holds 450 people, there is bound to be someone who slips and falls flat on their back, spraying books and pens, papers and phone hither and yon.  And when that poor unfortunate soul takes their slip of shame, the very last thing you should ever do is...

Laugh at them.

That's right.  Because if you laugh, if you even snicker, you, my friend are next.

For that is the Law of the Laugh.

This law was so ingrained in our minds as students that if one was unaware and let out a chuckle, a chortle, or even a snicker everyone surrounding them would take a giant step back.  We weren't going down with that ship.

Yesterday, at the grazing lands conference a different, but not altogether unrelated law was witnessed.  The Law of the Glare.

Cell phones have been around a while and still we have people who cannot remember to turn their phones on silent during a presentation.  As I sat in the back of the room, I heard an awful lot of phones ring.  And saw an equal number of dirty looks being given to owners of those phones.  But the classic moment was when the dirtiest-look-giver's phone would go off.  Oh my, the irony. The karma, as they would startle and grasp desperately at their pocket.  One poor chap even dropped it under the table.

But of course, I absolutely did not laugh...