The Importance of Silly Moments

There are many necessities in life: food, water, friends, laughter, and most importantly those silly moments you share with the people around you. While society expects us, especially women, to act as normal, functioning human beings, we cannot help but to act a little bit dumb and wacky at times.

After the election on last Tuesday, I noticed the entire campus had a different atmosphere, and not in a good way. Wednesday was a cold, rainy day. Campus was quiet, no one was laughing while walking on middle math, or socializing in the lines for food, silence filled the air. So, I took it upon myself to try and make everyone’s day a little bit better by doing silly things, such as eating a donut off of a string that was held far too high, especially for my height (I’m 5’2”). I realized that by making a fool of myself, I brightened everyone else’s day despite current events. It was at that moment that I knew that I wanted to keep being my silly self to have everyone around me act positively and be happy for a moment, even when something terrible happens.

To prove I’m not the only person who does silly things unintentionally (sometimes intentionally), I asked some of my fellow Her Campus Kenyon friends to send me some of their wacky moments. Not only are they awesome writers, but they also know how to make me laugh until I am on the floor crying, barely breathing, and making my non-existent six-pack abs hurt so much that I get a cramp.

“Two of my bffs from high school and I went to a concert to see some YouTube musicians, including Craig Benzine’s (Wheezy Waiter) band, Driftless Pony Club. One of my goals in life is to take silly pictures with people we admire, so that’s how this happened. My friends are making beards with their hair to match Craig’s. I had been trying to make a mustache with my braid, but it fell right before the pic was taken.” –Lexi Bollis

“I feel like there are a lot of people, especially adults in my family, who think my silly poses in pictures are ridiculous or they don’t understand what they mean, as if striking a fun pose has to have some sort of deeper meaning. Here’s an example: Me seeing the Colosseum for the time.” –Jenna Wendler

“Exhibit B, while hiking in the Redwoods. I think they’re fun and funny, and so do some of my friends, and it makes me happy even if I am misunderstood as a result.” –Jenna Wendler

“One day I made a Dubsmash of me screaming ‘EXPECTO PATRONUM!!!’ at my poor dog.” –Vahni Kurra “Also, one time I thought it was a good idea to play ping pong with a small green tomato at my friend’s house. It wasn’t. He was very upset when he had to clean it up in front of his dad who cherishes that ping pong table.” –Vahni Kurra

“Or, you know…this picture exists.” –Vahni Kurra

“So I have a deep deep love for Snapchat filters…I think the most fun I have is just lip syncing to songs with a filter. For example, this photo is a screenshot from the Mackennicorn dancing to SexyBack.” –Mackenna Goodrich

As you can see, the HCK writers are a pretty funny group of people. They know exactly how to cherish those silly moments and cheer up someone’s day. My advice to anyone reading this: Do not let society pressure you into thinking that you need to be this perfect human being. It’s okay to not be a fully functioning person, and by that I mean take advantage of your silly moments. Don’t feel embarrassed about spilling honey all over the floor in Peirce, embrace it and know that you are making someone else laugh and brightening up their day.

Image Credit: Anushka Patel, Lexi Bollis, Jenna Wendler, Vahni Kurra, Mackenna Goodrich

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