March 28, 2024

By SPENCER BEEBESBLaugh1

The audience was breathless with laughter at the Queen’s Square Library in Cambridge on Feb. 9 during Deb Loyd’s “Laugh out Loud: Life’s Too Short” presentation.

Loyd, who is a professional public speaker and educator, used her talent with humour to teach visitors how to improve their lifestyle through laughter. With silliness and storytelling, she kept the audience in stitches and showed them how a simple smile could improve their mood and put a song in their step.

“It’s all about your attitude,” she told the audience. “Whenever you don’t know whether to laugh or cry – always laugh.”

Her stories about her family and her co-workers had the audience roaring with laughter, and her exaggerated hand gestures, intriguing impersonations and squeaking clown nose had everyone suppressing giggles. She made light of day-to-day events that we all struggle with – being stuck in traffic, taking your kids to the dentist and listening to someone shouting at a cashier at the grocery store.

She even cracked jokes about homemade omelette cooking.

“Humour is so powerful,” she said. “Laughter releases the happiness hormones, so why not smile?”

Stories about her mother were the highlight of her presentation; her mother often mixed up words, she said, leading to several side-splitting scenes where she talked about “a neighbour selling his house and buying a nice condom,” or about “watching Doctor Zeus” on television.

Everyone in the audience took away something special from Loyd’s presentation, and just as she told them, a simple smile lifted their spirits and made everything seem alright.

Loyd lives in Waterloo and often gives presentations like this to local businesses and public forums. To learn more about her workshops and presentations, visit her website at www.debloyd.com.

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