OUR VIEW: To laugh or not to laugh

Maybe it’s caused by the frigid temperatures, maybe it’s not seeing the sun or blue skies for days at a time, but we are all guilty of it. Laughing. Laughing at the expense of those who sacrifice themselves on the icy sidewalks and driveways so we can plan an alternate route to arrive to our destinations unscathed.

It has happened to all of us: the unexpected fall while trying to make it to and from class. The sudden rush of adrenaline and bracing for what can only be an ungraceful fall. However, there are those who merely watch the uncoordinated (or unfortunate), laugh and continue on with their lives, smiling at their own luck.

There’s no denying, when someone biffs it on the ice, it’s the first thing you tell your roommates or whisper to a friend in class, always ending with, “I’m glad that wasn’t me.”

Admittedly, it is funny – in a cynical way. To have our monotonous routines interrupted by the quick scream and thud of the person in front of us. Whether or not your cynicism comes from buried bitterness at those who have laughed at your own expense, it still draws a smile. Whether this is right or not, is debatable.

However, the redeeming act can be found in helping those who have helped your day – offering assistance and asking if the person is OK. For the most part, people bravely walk off their falls and will laugh with you.

However humorous this is, try and resist the temptations of stalking problematic areas such as Old Main hill and the sidewalks running north on 800 East to scope out those of us who unfortunately become better acquainted with the sidewalk than we had wished.