Chapter 60 Chapter Eleven I Was the World's Biggest Idiot

If I laugh at myself, the troubles disappear.So, I keep laughing at myself. I've had more disease than anyone else in the world—living, dead, and dying. I don't suffer from ordinary depression.My father once opened a pharmacy, and I grew up in this environment. I could chat with doctors and nurses every day, so I knew the names and symptoms of many diseases.I'm not a hypochondriac, but I do have symptoms.I used to worry about a disease for an hour or two, and before I knew it, I had all the symptoms of that disease. Once, there was a very serious diphtheria epidemic in the town of Linton, Maryland where we lived.Every day, I was in my father's pharmacy, selling medicine to infected patients.Gradually, I began to worry that this disease would befall me. I lay in bed all day, full of worries, and ended up worrying about some standard symptoms.

After the doctor's examination, he said, "Persey, you do have the infection." I was relieved.When I was convinced I was sick, I stopped worrying.I turned over and fell asleep.The next morning, I was as healthy as ever.For a long time, I was the focus of attention and sympathy.I have suffered from many strange diseases. Not only have I "died" many times from madman's disease and lockjaw, but I have even suffered from terrible diseases such as cancer and tuberculosis. It’s okay to laugh about things that seemed so tragic at the time.For years I have had the fear that I am walking on the edge of my grave.When it's time to buy clothes in the spring, I always ask myself, "Why waste money when I know I'm going to die soon?"

Today, I'm happy to tell you that I've come a long way, and I haven't "died" once in the past 10 years. How did I make such great progress?laugh at.I laughed at myself at these absurd imaginings.Whenever I feel those horrible illnesses come upon me again, I smile and say to myself, "Hey, Whiting, you have been spared time and time again from those deadly diseases over the past twenty years, and now you Your health is the best. An insurance company recently allowed you to take out more life insurance. Huiting, don’t you think you are a big fool?" I quickly discovered that if I laughed at myself, I wouldn't have time to worry about myself.So, I keep laughing at myself.

(Editor's note: The point of this story is not to take yourself too seriously. Laugh at those silly worries, and you'll be able to laugh them away.)