For Michael Rybovich, laughter is—and always was—the best medicine.
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According to the American Psychological Association, stress is a normal reaction to everyday pressures but it can become unhealthy when it upsets your day-to-day functioning. Stress involves changes affecting nearly every system of the body, influencing how people feel and behave. By causing mind–body changes, stress contributes directly to psychological and physiological disorders and disease and affects mental and physical health, reducing quality of life.
Any builder of one-off boats is subject to torment by the unrelenting questions that are the wellspring of stress: Will she float on her lines; will she look as good as she did in the screen or on the drawing board? Will she handle, will she run, will she stay together in a sea of hell without over-engineering/over-grossing her? How can I deal with these BIG numbers: What used to be tens of thousands of dollars is now tens of millions. Will the money run out before she’s delivered and right? Will she enhance or tarnish our reputation? Will the owner be happy? Will the world appreciate, abuse or bad-mouth her? Will the captain be a good fit? Can we find enough help? Can we hold on to our amazing crew? Can we afford to honor our duty to keep all of them safe, happy and healthy? Do our suppliers and contractors have our back or have us by the balls? Am I a good leader, mentor, teacher? Do I command respect? How long do I have? Is this the one that takes me out? Why me, Lord? How in the world did I end up here?
Any breadwinner is keenly aware of the stressful questions in his or her day-to-day function within this life: Do I fit in with the crew? Am I respected by my peers? Does the boss appreciate or ignore me? Am I up to the tasks assigned? How in the hell can I be a good father, mother, husband, wife, son, daughter and still be here every day to get the job done? Am I making enough money? How can I make more? Is there room for advancement in this job? Can I afford another sick day? Will this old truck start this morning? How can I continue to produce as my body ages? What the f— is the hurry? Is this what I want to do for the rest of my life? Is this all there is? Why me, Lord? How in the world did I end up here?
Boatbuilding is not child’s play. The work we do in this yard is serious business and requires focus, ability and sweat. With every project, large or small, our reputation and the safety of ourselves and others are on the line. The gravity of this work and the physical challenges it presents can take its toll. When the needle on the tribulation meter enters the red, a pressure release valve is imperative to preserving one’s sanity. Finding a real, practical solution for coping with stress in this life at the speed of light is stressful in itself. Certainly, there are pharmaceuticals available to take the edge off. There is always alcohol. Now, more than ever, there are weeds and oils to help us cope. Television ads pimp herbal and vegetable supplements to conquer any stress-related problems one might encounter. Any of these might help with the symptoms, but what is a lasting, proven fix to keep us from exploding or imploding? It’s tough out there and getting tougher. The answer is as old as time. Putting a smile on someone’s face and spreading a little cheer will do more than any of the aforementioned remedies. Proverbs 17:22 tells us that “A cheerful heart is good medicine.” Brightening someone’s day melts the ice and warms the soul. A laugh and a smile can provide instant relief and help to replenish one’s fleeting stamina. It is an inexpensive, non-invasive procedure that can improve your overall health. Laughter is still the best medicine.
The first rule in laughter is nothing is sacred. If you’re going to set limits, then you’re going to suffocate the healing effect. Current events are an endless supply of humorous material and laughing at our cultural taboos with off-color jokes and blasphemous observations is a great elixir. Laughing with and especially at each other is great stuff as well. Inappropriate name-calling is hilarious and an exercise in creative vocabulary, which is why most everyone in this yard has a nickname that is on the money. If this behavior offends you, you should never have been promoted to the third grade. For God’s sake, go back and learn how to get along and take your delicate buddies with you. This is not Eden, fool, this is Earth. Some of the funniest lines I have ever heard were directed straight at me. Just the playground variations of my last name were a source of epic comedy which, of course, demanded appropriate retribution. This is not only loads of fun, but it teaches you to be quick on your feet and a force with which to be reckoned. This has been a successful approach to human interaction for millennia. In Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night,” Feste says to Malvolio: “It is better to be a witty fool than a foolish wit.” By this, he meant that occasional foolishness is far superior to habitual idiocy.
Laughter towards things we can’t control takes the sting out of life’s nematocysts. It can relieve all sorts of aches and pains. How many times have you heard someone under the weather say, “Don’t make me laugh,” when in reality, a laugh is exactly what they need? Those who can make us laugh are among this world’s greatest healers. Stand-up analgesics who work hard to make us feel better. Consider how much pain relief Jonathan Winters, Mel Brooks, Robin Williams, George Carlin, Jerry Seinfeld, and Dave Chappelle have given to this world of toil and trouble. Not only do they make us laugh, but they make us think as well. In the pompous culture of today, they teach us not to take ourselves too seriously and, most importantly, to laugh at ourselves and our pretentions. Feeling a bit stressed out? After reading this, stream the un-censored version of “Blazing Saddles” when you get home tonight and feel the stress flow from your body like the flies out of John Coffey’s mouth in The Green Mile. It’s therapeutic to laugh at everyone and, in that school of medicine, Mel Brooks reigns as Chief of Staff. “Springtime for Hitler,” my God!
As I walk the yard each day, checking on the crew, I try my best to keep the spirits up when the heat is on. For the most part, I know what I can say to whom and how far I can go. Yes, we have some tenuous creatures here whose fragility I must respect. I feel sorry for them. The rest of our guys and gals enjoy a laugh and can hand it right back. That return volley helps me to decompress and minimize the inevitable angst that builds from budgets and deadlines. Around here, the middle finger followed by a laugh is a common greeting between crew and management. Far from insult, it assures participants that each is glad to be here and that today will be a study in productivity. When someone makes an insignificant, bonehead mistake, all are encouraged to join in a chorus of the “dumb ass” chorale to lighten things up and assure the offending party that quality control is everyone’s responsibility. This is usually accompanied by humorous references to the culprit’s parents, ancestral origin, or mental capacity. Immediately following this display of support and brotherhood, the problem is remedied, and a potentially shattered ego is salvaged and rejuvenated. Laughter brings us together in times of need.
Captains and deckhands contribute to the medicinal properties of laughter as well. Some of these guys should have their own show and we look forward to their seasonal arrival in the yard. It’s as if we have tickets for a comedy theater and can’t wait for the headliner to take the stage. Immediately upon securing a bow line, the irreverent greetings begin and morph into sea stories, political editorials and critiques of the last newsletter. The yard is aglow with laughter and good vibes. At times like this, I realize, once again, how blessed by the creator we are to be able to do this for a living and enjoy a laugh without fear of bureaucratic reprisal. God has a sense of humor. He made me and all the rest of us in this yard. What further proof does one require? He also gave us the means to cope with life outside the garden. The antidote, the anodyne, the divine anti-inflammatory, the best medicine. Up your dosage and put that prescription on auto-refill now. If not, the joke’s on you!
